Toronto Raptors All-Star played entire playoffs with injured foot

It turns out Toronto Raptors star Brandon Ingram was dealing with more than just a rough shooting stretch during the team's first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On Friday, the Raptors revealed that Ingram underwent surgery in New York on Thursday to address the lingering pain in his right heel, an issue that had been bothering him since March.

According to the team, surgeons at Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan discovered and removed a heel spur during the procedure.

#Raptors Brandon Ingram underwent surgery yesterday in New York to address his heel pain, per team. A heel spur was removed on his right foot by Dr. Martin O’Malley at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery. Ingram is expected to fully recover and be ready for training camp… pic.twitter.com/RFDlZEZZVw

— Marley Dickinson (@marleydickinson) May 8, 2026

Raptors management previously indicated during end-of-season availability that Ingram was only going to miss a few weeks and would be ready for mid-summer workouts. That isn't the case. Following surgery, the 28-year-old is expected to be sidelined until Raptors training camp in September.

Ingram's injury first surfaced in March and caused him to miss three regular-season games over two weeks.

Although it appears Ingram played through some discomfort to end the regular season, things became worse in the playoffs, and his offensive production showed just that. He averaged just 8.6 points over five playoff games against Cleveland — a significant drop from the impressive 21.5 points per game he had during his 2025-26 campaign.

Ingram's playoff struggles did not go unnoticed. Several former NBA players and analysts criticized his game for his inability to score and defend. He left Game 5 with heel pain and did not return for the rest of the series. Now, Ingram faces another offseason focused on recovery.

Last season, Ingram missed most of the year with an ankle injury and did not play a single game for the Toronto Raptors. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)

When the Raptors acquired Ingram in a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans last year, he sat out the entire season due to an ankle injury. He spent much of last summer recovering to get him ready for 2025-26.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković said earlier this week that the organization's goal with Ingram this season was simply to get him back to feeling like himself on the basketball floor. The next step, Rajaković said, is to take his game even further.

"When you look at B.I., the goal this year was to get him back to playing," said Rajaković during Monday's end-of-season media availability. "Next will be taking his game to the next level. We believe he can get there."

Ingram said during his end-of-season availability that he "had fun" in his first season as a Raptor and is excited to see what the team can accomplish next season.