The bad news isn’t over for the Clippers. On a media day that was supposed to be defined by the promise of a fresh start, the Clippers revealed that Brandon Ingram will not be available for the start of the season due to an Achilles tendon injury, one that involved a partial tear diagnosed months ago. And despite the passage of time, there is still no clear date for his return to the floor.
That was stated by Trent Redden, the team’s interim president, who added that the injury was addressed when the player underwent a procedure on the heel. The operation took place in May, as this was the problem that kept the forward from participating in Games 6 and 7 of the Raptors–Cavaliers series, meaning nearly five months have elapsed since then. Yet, according to reports from Los Angeles, the rehabilitation is still in progress.
In fact, Redden noted that the recovery process for a partial tear is “about six months shorter” than that for a complete tendon rupture, which typically runs around a year unless there are exceptional circumstances. Therefore, one could estimate that Ingram’s absence will last roughly six months, placing his return to the court in November. But, pending further information from the Clippers, this remains pure speculation.
The injury itself was also a matter of conjecture for the Californians, who could not know his status firsthand until the trade was finalized: “We couldn’t know how he was doing and how he had progressed until we had him here with us. He won’t be ready for the start of the season, and we’ll reevaluate him when that moment comes,” Redden concluded.
Making progress
Ingram himself also had the chance to address the topic with the press, acknowledging that he has been able to work in the area for a bit over a month to regain tone. According to him, he spent last season dealing with some discomfort that he couldn’t identify, and he hopes this intervention has been able to resolve his problems.
Brandon Ingram on his offseason surgery and partially torn Achilles:
“I had been dealing with some pain throughout the year with the Raptors, especially coming down crunch time with the Raptors. I didn’t quite know what it was. Near the end of the season, we figured out what it… pic.twitter.com/FlNR1MDZF0— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) September 28, 2026
“I’m making solid progress in the recovery. I’m moving forward. I’ve been doing exercises for a little over a month now, and I’ve been able to stay on the floor a bit and continue strengthening. I had been dealing with pain in the area during the past year with the Raptors, especially late in games, and we couldn’t figure out what it was. We were able to identify it at the end of the year and thought surgery was the best option.”
