2 reasons why the Heat should trade for Brandon Ingram, 1 why they shouldn’t

Con: Injuries

For a team like the Heat who were ranked near the top of the league in different starting lineups and injuries, Ingram doesn’t help in that department. Of course, this is something that can change for him as a young player still, but availability has been an issue for him. He missed 18 games for the Pelicans this year; totaling 64 total games played out of the 82-game season.

The years prior weren’t any better, either. In the 2022-2023 season, Ingram was available for 45 games. That’s only about half of a season. In 2021-2022, he played 55 games. The unfortunate reality is that this is a player who has eclipsed the 65-games played mark just once in his career. And it was his rookie year back in 2016-2017 for the LA Lakers. 

Injury problems have plagued this Heat build, and it is an issue that Pat Riley expressed he was not happy about. Adding another injury-prone player to the mix may be flirting with more of these problems in the future.

If the Heat front office decides to buy low on a guy on an expiring contract with Ingram's talent, this organization can maximize his abilities. But they could not have a chance to do that if he struggles to stay on the court.