G LaMelo Ball of the Hornets will miss the remainder of the season due to an ankle and wrist injury

Point guard LaMelo Ball will be sidelined for the rest of the season by the Charlotte Hornets due to surgeries for wrist and ankle problems, the team announced on Friday.

Ball, 23, will have arthroscopic surgery for a right ankle impingement and a minor treatment on his right wrist, according to the Hornets. Ball is anticipated to fully recover and resume “full basketball activity within four to six weeks” as part of a comprehensive offseason training program, the team stated in a news release.

With 10 games left in the regular season, the Hornets (18-54) are in second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference standings and will not be able to make the playoffs.

Ball last appeared in a 111-104 home defeat to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, scoring 25 points and dishing out nine assists. In 47 games (all starts) this season, he averaged a career-high 25.2 points per game, 7.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 32.0 minutes.

According to the team, Ball leads the NBA in fourth-quarter points average (7.8) and is one of ten players this season to average at least 25 points and five assists a game.

According to ESPN Research, Ball is the only player in Hornets history to average 25 points and seven assists in a season.

In the 2020 NBA Draft, Ball was chosen by Charlotte with the third overall pick. He was named an All-Star the next season and the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2020–21 campaign.

Ball has played in 231 games (211 starts) and averaged 21.0 points, 7.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 31.9 minutes. Throughout his career, he has struggled with ankle injuries, including missing the last season on March 28, 2024, to recover from a sprain to his right ankle in November 2023 and ongoing issues. In the 2021–22 season, he played 75 games, which was his career high.