LaMelo Ball Reportedly Out for Rest of Hornets Season with Ankle, Wrist Injuries
LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the 2024-25 season to undergo procedures addressing ankle and wrist issues, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Friday.
Ball "is expected to heal and have a full offseason," according to Charania.
The Hornets, who were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Miami Heat last Sunday, have 10 games remaining in the regular season.
Charania reported that Ball "had played through pain in recent weeks" before deciding to undergo the procedures.
Ball had averaged a career-high 25.2 points while adding 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 47 starts this season. He has been periodically sidelined throughout the campaign and hadn't played in four straight games since the start of February.
The Hornets guard played a career-high 75 games during his 2021-22 All-Star campaign but has missed significant time due to injury in four of his five NBA seasons.
Those injuries included a fractured right wrist suffered at the end of his 2020-21 rookie season. He underwent surgery on the wrist in March 2021.
Ball originally broke his right ankle during a February 2023 game against the Detroit Pistons. He underwent surgery on the fracture that March.
The guard was sidelined for weeks after suffering a sprain by landing hard on his right ankle in November 2023. He was shut down at the end of the 2023-24 season to rehab that ankle.
Ball has appeared in just 105 of the Hornets' 246 games over the last three seasons. The Hornets will hope his two procedures will help him put together a healthier campaign next fall.
Charlotte is also anticipating the return of Brandon Miller, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury in January. Getting both Ball and Miller back, in addition to what could be a top pick in the upcoming draft, could help the Hornets bounce back from finishing this season with one of the lowest win percentages in franchise history.
