LaMelo Ball’s night in Toronto ended much earlier than the Hornets expected. The star guard exited less than three minutes into the second half after tweaking his ankle, halting what had been one of his most encouraging starts in recent weeks.
Team officials later confirmed that Ball was dealing with left ankle soreness and would not return, cutting short his game in Toronto with 11 points, two rebounds, three assists, and one steal on 44.4 percent shooting (0-4 from three).
LaMelo Ball left tonight’s Charlotte Hornets game against the Toronto Raptors with left ankle soreness and is out for the rest of the game. pic.twitter.com/Y1IbHDoDGs
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 6, 2025
The Hornets went on to win the game (111-86) without Ball, thanks to Kon Knueppel, who led with 22 points, three rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block on 58.3 percent shooting (5-9 from three). Tidjane Salaun had a career-night off the bench with 21 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block on 75.0 percent shooting (5-6 from three).
For LaMelo, the timing of this latest setback is especially unfortunate given the current trajectory of his career. After years of losing and being in and out of the lineup, this was supposed to be his final breakout moment. Instead, he has struggled all season to find his footing as the Hornets take loss after loss.
This season, in 15 games, Ball is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 38.4 percent shooting. Those numbers are well below Ball’s usual standards, but it seems lingering ankle problems may be to blame. He’s been dealing with this issue his whole career, and things were finally looking up for Ball leading up to tonight’s exit.
Coming off a 34-point night against the Knicks, he was showing flashes of greatness again, and Charlotte had hoped this game would help him build momentum. The new setback, however, shifted the tone of the night and raised new questions about his short-term availability moving forward.
At 7-16, the Hornets are on the outside of the NBA play-in line (12th), and not having Ball threatens to send The The them into the depths of the East standings. Still, the bigger question is what happens to Ball later this season.
Amid rising tensions in the organization, LaMelo has never been considered more available, and there are rumors he may be wearing a different jersey by February’s annual trade deadline. For now, the Hornets must find a way to play on without him, and that likely means leaning on guys like Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Kon Knueppel to fill in the gaps.
It remains to be seen when Ball returns to action, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier for Charlotte. They host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday before facing the Bucks and Cavaliers after the Emirates Cup tournament games next week.
Charlotte will now have to navigate this stretch with uncertainty surrounding its franchise star, and the margin for error is shrinking fast. If Ball misses extended time, the pressure on the supporting cast only grows while the front office faces difficult decisions about the direction of the season. For the Hornets, the hope is simply that this setback is brief and that Ball can steady the team when he returns.
