Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
The Charlotte Hornets are shutting down star guard LaMelo Ball for the rest of the season due to his ankle injury, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Thursday morning.
Ball played in just 22 contests this year, averaging a career-high in points (23.9). But this marks the second consecutive season he’ll play in less than half of the team’s games, and the third time in four years he’s played in less than 70.
After signing a five-year, $260 million contract in July 2023, Hornets fans should officially start worrying about the long term health of the face of the franchise.
There had been some optimism he’d return shortly after the NBA All-Star break.
On March 4 (35 days after Charlotte’s return to action after the break) head coach Steve Clifford told the “Wes and Walker Show,” on WFNZ radio in Charlotte he was optimistic Ball would return, but there still wasn’t a timeline.
“Melo’s doing more and more,” he said. “I feel like he’s getting closer but he’s not quite there yet.”
With just 10 games remaining in another lost season in the Queen City, the decision does make sense. Charlotte is 18-54 and headed for a yet another lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft this June.
It also gives impressive rookie Brandon Miller (17 PPG) 10 more chances to show why the Hornets should be his team in 2024 and beyond.
Despite Hugo the Hornet reacting with dismay to Charlotte selecting Miller over Scoot Henderson with the second pick in the 2023 draft, there are already rumblings from Hornets fans wanting to trade Ball and hand the reins to Miller.
That’s an overreaction at this point.
In today’s NBA you need multiple All-Star caliber players to compete for a championship and Charlotte historically has had trouble recruiting those players in free agency. After adding two players with that potential via the draft, the Hornets would be foolish to not give Ball and Miller another season to get on the court together.
But if injuries cost Ball yet another season in 2024-25, and Miller continues to excel, expect the calls to trade LaMelo to get very loud.
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