Hornets' LaMelo Ball Has Surgery on Wrist, Ankle Injuries, Full Recovery Expected

The road to recovery is now on for LaMelo Ball after the Charlotte Hornets star ended his season prematurely.

The Hornets announced Wednesday that Ball underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle and right wrist and is expected to return to full basketball activity in five to six weeks.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported last week that the Hornets were shutting Ball down for the remainder of the season to address ankle and wrist injuries. He noted that Ball "is expected to heal and have a full offseason.

Charlotte is 19-56 with just seven games left to play this season. Having already been eliminated from postseason contention, Ball had little left to play for, so ending his season early to get a head start on his recovery seems like the best move.

Ball had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024-25, putting up 25.2 points and 7.4 assists per game. He is the first player in Hornets history to average 25 points and seven assists per game over the course of a season.

While he put up great numbers, injuries were once again an issue for Ball, who played just 22 games last year and 36 games in 2022-23. Most of his injuries this year pertained to his ankle and wrist.

Since the Hornets drafted him in 2020, Ball has dealt with a wrist fracture in 2021, a broken ankle in 2023, another ankle injury last season and his wrist and ankle problems this year. He has appeared in just 105 of Charlotte's 246 games over the last three seasons and has just one season in which he has played more than 60 games.

The struggling Hornets are hoping Ball can be the player who turns their franchise around, but staying healthy is the first step in doing that. Still just 23 years old, Ball has plenty of time to start moving in the right direction, and he'll look to attack the offseason hard once he recovers from his surgeries.