Lakers' Ingram undergoes successful thoracic outlet surgery
Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery on his right arm Saturday and is expected to recover in time for the start of the 2019-20 season, the team announced.
Ingram reportedly had the previously announced blood clot in his arm removed earlier this week; according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Saturday's procedure was to ensure improved blood flow and a complete recovery.
According to Ingram's agent, Jeff Schwartz, the North Carolina native's condition is due to his body's makeup rather than his blood. Former NBA players Chris Bosh and Mirza Teletovic stepped away from the game due to blood clot issues.
"It's a night and day difference between a hematological issue, or a blood issue however you want to put it, and a structural issue," Schwartz told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "This was not related to his blood producing something that would cause blood clots. This was purely structural."
Ingram could return to the court as soon as eight weeks post-surgery, sources told McMenamin, and resume full basketball activities an additional four-to-eight weeks afterward.
The former No. 2 pick took a step forward in production in Year 3, though he appeared in a career-low 52 games before being shut down in early March. Ingram posted career highs in minutes (33.8), points (18.3), and effective field-goal percentage (51.8 percent).
In his final six appearances, Ingram averaged 27.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while hitting 52.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.