Clippers Aren't Expected to Move Brandon Ingram Once Kawhi Trade Is Finalized

The Los Angeles Clippers continue to wait for the conclusion of the Aspiration investigation looking into the cap circumvention allegations. Even though the process has been going on for ten months, we still don't have a timeline for when we can expect a resolution.

This has not only been a major source of frustration for the Clippers, but it's also hindering the rest of their offseason activity. The trade that sends Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors can't be finalized until the results of the investigation are announced.

Clippers Have No Interest in Moving On from Brandon Ingram

Despite this major obstacle, both Toronto and LA are adamant about getting this deal done. In their respective statements, both franchises seem aligned in their desire to still execute this trade. All the reporting also confirms this sentiment.

Jake Fischer and Marc Stein provided the latest in this saga in their livestream from Las Vegas for Bleacher Report. They talked about how committed both teams are to getting the trade over the finish line as it's currently constructed. The most important part of their reporting came when it was time to discuss Brandon Ingram.

Fischer said that the Clippers have no interest in re-routing Ingram to a third team and that the All-Star forward is expected to be in LA next season.

This is noteworthy because there was a ton of speculation about what the Clippers were planning to do with the All-Star forward. After a couple of days had passed since the moratorium passed and the Leonard trade was still not made official, many wondered whether that was because the Clippers were looking to expand the deal by sending Ingram elsewhere.

The fact that Ingram wasn't seen in team facilities while Gradey Dick was contributed to these rumors. It turns out, the reason the trade was not announced was the league stepping in to say that the Raptors would assume the potential penalties as a result of the investigation. Toronto understandably wanted to play it safe and wait until the investigation is over.

Since the Clippers want to be competitive next season, holding onto Ingram makes sense. He may have had his playoff struggles, including last season with the Raptors, but Ingram is a good regular-season player. LA has no incentive to tank next season since they don't control their own draft pick, so they will try to win as many games as they can. Ingram, as the lead offensive engine next to Darius Garland, can certainly help.

Plus, it's not like Ingram will have a ton of trade value right now. No team has the cap space to absorb his $40 million salary for next season. So, the Clippers would have to take back a similar salary. Getting a better player in that trade without giving up assets would have been difficult.

Starting the season with Ingram and seeing how he fits next to Garland and Keaton Wagler makes sense. The Clippers can figure things out with Ingram at the trade deadline or next offseason when he has a player option for $41.9 million for the 2027-28 season.

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