Ingram emerged as a key snub from the announced reserves to complete the 2026 All-Star player pool.
The Toronto Raptors will have a representative in Los Angeles for this year's NBA All-Star Game, as it was recently announced that Scottie Barnes was selected as a reserve from the Eastern Conference list.
Toronto Raptors / Schedule
While he is happy about being chosen for his second career All-Star nod, Barnes is simply disappointed that his co-star Brandon Ingram didn't make it to the cut.
"I don’t know how. He’s been balling and doing so much for our team," Barnes said after the Raptors' 107-100 Sunday win over the Utah Jazz. "From where our team was last year to this year, his impact has been instrumental to our success.
"It’s just ridiculous that he’s not there."
Ingram stands as one of the surprise snubs in the 2026 All-Star selection.
The star swingman has led the Raptors in scoring this season (21.9) while averaging 5.9 boards and 3.7 assists in 49 games played.
His trade arrival from the New Orleans Pelicans allowed the Raps to finally take that next step as one of the East's best teams. With Ingram at the front, Toronto is currently a top-four team in the Conference with a 30-21 record.
But in the end, the likes of Jalen Johnson, Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam were chosen over Ingram.
Like Barnes, head coach Darko Rajakovic can only sympathize with Ingram about being excluded from the final roster.
"I feel disappointed that BI did not make it to the All-Star as well," Rajakovic said. "I think he definitely deserved it.
"The way he’s competing and playing this year, how much he’s putting into it, and the way he’s scoring and helping us win basketball games show that he definitely deserves to be an All-Star."
As the NBA will choose a key replacement starter for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is out for weeks due to a calf injury, Ingram is set to be a potential late addition to the East lineup in the coming days.
Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.