Hornets Officially Shut LaMelo Ball Down for the Season

Charlotte rules out its star guard for the year.

Mar 1, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It doesn't come as much of a surprise, but Thursday morning the Charlotte Hornets officially announced that point guard LaMelo Ball has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

He will continue his rehab on his ankle while getting some shots up and running through drills when necessary but he will not appear in another game for the Hornets until the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

With just 11 games left and the postseason not in the cards, it's the right move. There's no need to risk further injury or re-aggravating it, setting him back in his return to play.

Ball has dealt with numerous ankle injuries throughout his career and over the last two seasons, has only appeared in 58 total games. In 22 games this year, the talented youngster averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 43% from the floor and 35% from three-point range.

Last offseason, Ball signed a five-year contract worth up to $260 million. When healthy, he's one of the best point guards in the NBA. If he can somehow avoid the injury bug moving forward, the Hornets have an intriguing young core they can build with featuring Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and possibly Miles Bridges.