Fan favorite LaMelo Ball is out for the remainder of the season so he can have procedures to clean up nagging issues with his ankles and wrist, the team announced Friday.
OFFICIAL: LaMelo Ball will undergo arthroscopic surgery to address a right ankle impingement. He will also have a minor procedure on his right wrist. Ball is listed as out for tonight’s game vs TOR and will miss the remainder of the season.
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 28, 2025
Ball had played through pain in recent weeks, according to reports, and has a history of ankle and wrist issues (he had surgery on his right ankle in 2023 and on his right wrist in 2021). Add in that the Hornets more focused on the lottery than winning games right now and the smart play is to shut their leading scorer down. Charlotte currently has the third-worst record in the league (18-54), and the three worst teams each have a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick, however for the team with the fourth-worst record that falls to 12.5% (and the risk of falling further down in the lottery increases, too).
Ball averaged 25.2 points and 7.4 assists a game this season in the 47 games he played for the Hornets. Fans wanted him in the All-Star game, he was the leading All-Star Game fan vote getter among Eastern Conference guards, although he did not make the All-Star team (he was not a starter due to the player and media votes, then the coaches did not select him as a reserve).
Ball, 23, is part of a young core in Charlotte with Brandon Miller (22), Mark Edwards (23, although he is in trade rumors) and possibly even Miles Bridges (older at 26). That core, however, isn’t winning many games right now, and this team still needs a true No. 1 option to build around.
There has been some talk about the Hornets trying to trade Ball this summer, but his market would be limited. Part of that is his max contract, Ball has four years and $168.6 million remaining on his extension that kicked in this year. Another part would be his injury history, his 47 games played this season is the most in the past three years (and he only played 51 games his rookie season). Finally, part of Ball’s lack of a serious trade market is he is seen in league circles as more of a floor raiser than a guy who is the point guard of a contender. That is due to Ball’s defensive struggles, plus the perception that his stats are more “empty calories” than those leading a team to wins.
Ball should be healthy and able to trail this offseason, let alone be ready when training camp opens in the fall. Who will be with Ball in Charlotte next fall is the big question.
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