Brandon Ingram cleared for non-contact drills, listed as day-to-day

Brandon Ingram is one step closer to making his highly anticipated return to the floor after the Los Angeles Lakers announced he has been cleared for non-basketball activities, per Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell.

Ingram suffered a groin strain in Miami on March 1 that has kept him out of the Lakers’ last eight games. The Lakers are 4-4 during that stretch and are 5-7 overall without Ingram this season.

The soonest Ingram could make his return is Monday against the Indiana Pacers, a team the Lakers beat without Ingram earlier this season. If not Monday, then Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ingram has been a big part of everything the Lakers have been able to accomplish this season, including their first 30-win season in five years. He leads the team in scoring with 16.2 points per game on a career-high 46.9 percent from the field and has the second-highest Player Impact Estimate (PIE) on the team since the All-Star break, only trailing Julius Randle, who has been phenomenal in Ingram’s absence.

After dropping their last two games, the Lakers need something to get them back on track. Having Ingram would give them a nice little boost to finish off the final few games left in the season.