At first, it seemed as though Brandon Ingram [didn't want to join](https://thejnotes.com/recent-intel-reveals-what-broke-down-jazz-trade-talks-brandon-ingram) the Utah Jazz. Then it came out that the Jazz didn't have all that much interest in him to begin with. The potential pairing sounded intriguing, but it will never likely come to be.
The latest news about Ingram showed why the Jazz only had minimal interest. Ingram suffered an ankle sprain during the Pelicans loss to the Thunder the other night, and it appears that he will be out for quite some time.
[ESPN confirmed](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/42854560/pelicans-brandon-ingram-ankle-indefinitely) that Ingram will be out indefinitely from his ankle sprain. Now obviously, this is the worst news for Ingram given that his contract is about to expire and he wants a new deal. From the Jazz side of things, this serves as another example of why they were right to steer clear of Ingram.
It's not just because they would have to deal with contract negotiations with Ingram for the rest of the season. No, there's something much more pressing.
Ingram's ankle injury is yet another reason to avoid investing in him. He is talented—there's no doubt about that—but he has shown that he has trouble staying on the floor. He hasn't crossed the 70-game plateau since his rookie season (2016-17).
Since then, Ingram has played between 45 to 64 games. While he's had some bad injury luck, the fact of the matter is, it's followed him since pretty much the very beginning of his NBA career, and his latest ankle injury indicates that this won't improve.
No one's wishing any harm on Ingram or celebrating his latest injury in the slightest. In fact, it's devastating to see him get hurt again especially knowing that he's in a contract year. But the fact remains the same that despite his talent, his inability to stay on the court makes him less appealing to trade for.
On paper, he'd be worth the investment as long as he wouldn't have cost the Jazz too much in terms of assets because of his talent. However, because he has trouble staying on the floor, it hasn't translated into much playoff success for him or the teams he's played for.
Sadly, it's hard to say if it would be different for the Jazz if they had entertained trading for him. The Jazz are in good position to keep their options open going forward. Trading for Ingram actually isn't the worst idea (as long as they sold low for him), but his ankle injury shows why they were better off not taking that chance on him.