Brandon Ingram's New Injury Diagnosed After Surgery, Latest on Clippers Star's Timeline to Return

The Los Angeles Clippers will be without Brandon Ingram to start the 2026-27 season.

Clippers interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden told reporters Monday the team found a partially torn Achilles in Ingram's foot following heel surgery. While he will not be ready at the start of the new campaign, Los Angeles plans on reevaluating him at that time to determine when he could return.

This is quite a blow for the Western Conference team, as Ingram was part of the return when it traded Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors this offseason.

If the Clippers were going to surprise and compete for a playoff spot during the upcoming campaign, the Duke product figured to be a major part of it. After all, he made his first career All-Star Game last season with the Raptors and looked to be half of a one-two punch with Darius Garland that was tasked with leading the offense.

Ingram averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from deep.

While he isn't someone who can completely replicate the loss of a future Hall of Famer like Leonard, he would have at least been a key part of the group effort. And now the Clippers will take the court for their Oct. 21 opener against the Sacramento Kings without him.

If nothing else, this will put more responsibility on the shoulders of rookie Keaton Wagler.

Wagler was the No. 5 overall pick of the 2026 NBA draft and will now be the Clippers' go-to option on the wing until Ingram is ready to return. The Illinois product is just 19 years old, but he is also the biggest reason for optimism in Los Angeles after the NBA stripped the team of five first-round picks as part of its punishment for the Leonard situation.

The rookie will now be firmly under the spotlight from the moment he steps on the floor and will look to help make up for the loss of both Leonard and Ingram.