Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, the NBA’s front-runner for Rookie of the Year, is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a fractured right wrist, sources told ESPN.
Ball’s injury is in the area of the thumb on his shooting hand, sources said.
Ball won’t be formally ruled out for the season until after meeting with Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York early this week, but sources said the injury will end his dazzling debut after 41 scintillating games and with the Hornets holding the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets announced Sunday evening that Ball underwent an MRI and an initial diagnosis revealed a fractured bone in the wrist. The team said Ball would be listed as out indefinitely, and that additional updates would be provided when available.
Ball, 19, suffered the injury on a fall in a 125-98 loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Ball, the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds this season.
