Charles Lee shares the latest on LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, and Tre Mann

Injuries have been problematic for the Charlotte Hornets this season, and well, really for the last handful of years. For Jeff Peterson to get a true evaluation of this group, he needs them back on the floor sooner rather than later, hopefully in enough time to get a serious read on them ahead of the trade deadline.

LaMelo Ball (ankle) has been out since December 5th, Collin Sexton (quad) since December 3rd, and Tre Mann (knee) since November 29th. Unfortunately, their timetable to return to the floor is still up in the air, according to head coach Charles Lee.

“Not a huge update from the last time I did media on Friday. Yesterday was a travel day, and today we’re playing an afternoon game,” Lee said in his pregame press conference on Sunday. “I think when we get back home, we have what? Three days or four days until we play Atlanta, and at that point, I think we’ll find out a little bit more about where they are when we get back home, and they can be evaluated, get back on the court, and potentially have some practice time.”

We'll likely hear something on Wednesday afternoon, but don't be surprised to see the Hornets continue to be cautious with LaMelo's ankle. Yes, they do need to get him back on the floor to see what the core of this team can do together, but he can't be rushed back to where it puts him in a situation where he has a setback, thus destroying his trade value.

The Hornets are 2-2 without this trio, although LaMelo did play some against the Raptors, albeit just 12 minutes. If they can return within a reasonable time, it's not far-fetched to say they can make a run and clinch a spot in the play-in tournament. Doing so would show the front office that keeping the main trio together is important for the future of the franchise.

The Hornets will be back at it on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be streamed live on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.

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