How LaMelo Ball’s injury could affect the Charlotte Hornets' draft strategy

On Friday, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania revealed that Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball would be missing the remainder of the 2024-2025 NBA season to undergo minor procedures on both his ankle and wrist.

Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the season as he undergoes two minor procedures to address ankle and wrist issues, sources tell ESPN. Ball showed toughness, playing through pain in recent weeks, before he and team consulted doctors on best course forward. pic.twitter.com/PrpWrjaXuW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 28, 2025

"Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the season as he undergoes two minor procedures to address ankle and wrist issues, sources tell ESPN. Ball showed toughness, playing through pain in recent weeks, before he and team consulted doctors on best course forward," Charania wrote.

This season, Ball reached career-highs in shooting (25.2 ppg) while averaging 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game.

While his growth as a scorer and overall floor general should be encouraging to Hornets fans, his struggles to stay healthy should raise concerns about his long-term availability.

Ball has played over 50 games in a season just once, despite spending five seasons in the league. The 23-year-old played 47 games this season, the second-most in his career.

As the Hornets close out their season and prepare to keep rebuilding, they will likely enter the off-season with a top-three pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Although Ball has been effective throughout the time that he is actually on the floor, the Hornets might want to consider adding a playmaking guard if they are unable to pick Cooper Flagg.

One point guard that stands out in this upcoming draft is Dylan Harper out of Rutgers.

The son of former Bulls champion Ron Harper, the 19-year-old point guard made the All-Big Ten Team as a freshman while averaging 19.4 points, 4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.

As a recruit, he was a consensus five-star and the No. 2 overall recruit in the country according to ESPN. During his prep years, he was named MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, a Western Conference general manager had high praise for Harper.

“Isn't he what everyone is looking for? An offensive orchestrator with size... You can build a successful offense around the guy."

If Harper blossoms into the player that scouts expect him to become, he would be an effective and reliable point guard for a team like Charlotte that is loaded with offensive firepower.

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