The Raptors see Brandon Ingram as a long-term fit and are pushing back on the narrative that the team’s rebuild is all but over. Though the NBA’s trade deadline came and went at 3 p.m. ET Thursday, it took nearly eight hours for the deal to make it through the league’s trade cue,

The hope is that a healthy Ingram helps improve the Raptors’ tepid half-court offence, and the backline of Barnes and Poeltl and can make up for some defensive shortcomings on the perimeter. If Ingram plays his best basketball, the cost of the acquisition will seem reasonable.