Brandon Ingram, a central piece of the return the Clippers received in their trade of Kawhi Leonard, will not be available when the 2026-27 season begins. The forward is recovering from a surgical procedure that addressed a right heel injury and a partially torn Achilles tendon, according to reporting by Ben Golliver of www.espn.com - TOP.
The absence carries immediate significance for Los Angeles. Ingram was counted among the primary assets the franchise acquired when it moved Leonard, and his unavailability delays the on-court evaluation of a trade that was expected to define the team's next phase. A partially torn Achilles tendon is among the more serious soft-tissue injuries a player can sustain, and the combination with a right heel injury makes his rehabilitation timeline the foremost question facing the organization.
The Clippers have not provided a return date, and the reporting does not specify a projected length of absence beyond the start of the season. Until Ingram is cleared, the roster will operate without one of the players central to the rationale behind the Leonard deal, leaving the team to manage both short-term rotation questions and longer-term expectations.
For local fans, the development reframes the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign. The trade that sent Leonard away was measured in part by what came back, and Ingram's health now sits at the center of that calculation. His recovery will be tracked closely as the season approaches, with the Clippers' early performance serving as the first test of how well the roster can absorb his absence.
