LaMelo fractures wrist, reportedly likely to miss rest of season

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is out indefinitely after fracturing a bone in his right wrist, the team announced Sunday.

The star rookie is expected to miss the remainder of the season, though he's seeking a second opinion on his diagnosis, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Ball fell to the floor in the first half of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers and spent most of the remainder of the game with a wrap on his wrist, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. With the Hornets trailing by 30 in the fourth quarter, Ball checked out of the contest and returned to the locker room.

The 19-year-old has averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, adding 37.5% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.

Selected with the No. 3 pick after playing professionally in Australia last year, Ball's advanced play has helped spark a resurgence for the Hornets franchise. After finishing the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season with a 23-42 (.354) record, Charlotte is currently 20-21 (.488), good for eighth in the Eastern Conference.