Brandon Ingram Makes Unexpected Promise Before First Raptors Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Elie A. Deglaoui | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 1:25 PM ET

This past February, the Toronto Raptors landed Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of the trade deadline. Furthermore, the one-time NBA All-Star signed a three-year, $120 million contract extension, even though he has yet to suit up for the team.

Ingram suffered an ankle injury back in December while playing for the Pelicans. He did not play in another game the rest of the season. Even so, he is an intriguing addition to Toronto, and it will be exciting to see how well he meshes with their young core.

Recently, Ingram spoke about his expectations for his first season with the Raptors and made a shocking promise in doing so.

Though there is a lot to like about the Raptors' roster and their future outlook, the team has not had a lot of success recently. Last season, they finished with a 30-52 record and missed the playoffs for the fourth time in the past five years. However, despite this, Ingram recently made a promise that they will end the drought next season and will "for sure" make the playoffs.

“We’re making the playoffs for sure," Ingram said to TSN's John Lewenberg.

I asked Brandon Ingram how close the Raptors are to taking the next step.

“We’re making the playoffs for sure.” pic.twitter.com/yOneUpwRsJ
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) July 12, 2025

Though the Raptors have not been a playoff team for quite some time, they may be able to turn it around next year.

The Eastern Conference, which was already widely considered the weaker one in the league, is now wide-open following Achilles injuries to Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard, who are all expected to miss the entirety of next season.

A deep run is unlikely, but the Raptors may have what it takes to solidify themselves as a playoff team again next year, which would turn Ingram's bold comments to fruition.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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