2 teams that will soon regret allowing the Raptors to sneak in and snag Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram's move to the Toronto Raptors was a quiet, yet significant move at the NBA trade deadline. The Raptors acquired the skilled forward from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and two draft picks.

Toronto made a bold move although this trade was certainly more about the Raptors future. Other teams, namely the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat, may soon regret sitting idly by and allowing the Raptors to get this deal done.

Why the Atlanta Hawks will regret not trading for Brandon Ingram

Atlanta has talent but continues to struggle with consistency. While Trae Young drives the offense, the team lacks a versatile wing who can create his own shot and stretch the floor at the level of Ingram, who averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists this season before being sidelined by an ankle injury. Ingram could’ve filled this void seamlessly and his ability to score from anywhere on the court would have been a perfect complement to the Hawks' guard-centric offense.

Under head coach Quin Snyder, the Hawks are about space and ball movement. Ingram’s mid-range game and ability to exploit mismatches would have made him an offensive catalyst. Pairing him with a playmaker like Young may have boosted Atlanta’s offensive efficiency ranking, which currently is among the lower third of the NBA.

Miami Heat’s missed opportunity with Ingram

Miami, notorious for starting seasons slowly, has grappled with injuries all season. Adding Ingram would have alleviated the burden (and headache for Pat Riley) of the Jimmy Butler saga. The Heat ended up shipping Butler to Golden State in a five-team trade that also included, Utah, Detroit and Toronto. Seeing how Ingram wound up with the Raptors in a separate deal makes you think the Heat could’ve gotten them involved here and landed Ingram.

However, with Miami already navigating a dicey salary cap situation, a potential trade for Ingram might have been tricky yet feasible. His impending free agency provides flexibility, as the Heat could’ve restructured their roster to re-sign him without long-term financial overcommitments.

Short-term and long-term implications in Toronto

For the Raptors, this trade signals a win-now mentality. Ingram brings much-needed offensive firepower to a team struggling to find more consistent scoring behind R.J. Barrett and Scottie Barnes. Reports are already coming out that the Raptors could sign Ingram to a nine-figure deal to keep him around. We could be seeing the next great NBA trio forming right before our eyes.