The Charlotte Hornets star will undergo two minor procedures and will miss the rest of the season as result, the team announced Friday
Ball will have arthroscopic surgery for a right ankle impingement and a procedure on his right wrist. He is expected to make a full recovery and have a full off-season. The team added he will be able to return to full basketball activities within four to six weeks.
But the procedures mean another shortened season for Ball, who has only played more than 52 games in a season once in his five-year career, hitting 75 in his second season in 2021-22. The Hornets have 10 games left in the regular season.
LaMelo Ball injury history
The right ankle has caused issues for Ball ever since he fractured his ankle during the 2022-23 season. He suffered the injury in February 2023 and was out for the remainder of the season after playing in just 36 games. Last season, the ankle issues persisted, and Ball only played a career-low 22 games, missing the last 39 contests of the season.
La Melo Ball stats
This season was one of Ball’s best since his All-Star campaign in 2021-22. He averaged 25.2 points, 7.4 assists and 4.9 per game in 47 games. He also leads the NBA in fourth-quarter points average with 7.8 per game.
While Ball took a step forward after injury riddled season, Charlotte’s struggles continued. At 18-54, the Hornets have the third-worst record in the league ahead of the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. The Hornets are likely to be among the teams with the highest chance of acquiring the top pick in the NBA draft. If Charlotte secured the top selection in the NBA draft lottery, it would be picking first for the first time since 1991 when it selected Larry Johnson.