Russell Westbrook Requests To Come Off Clippers Bench

The Charlotte Hornets announced that guard LaMelo Ball will miss the remainder of the season to rehab his right ankle injury. Ball has been out since January 26 with right ankle tendinopathy.

This is the second straight season Ball has missed considerable time due to right ankle injuries. Last year, Ball’s season ended in late-February after he fractured his right ankle.

Overall, the All-Star guard has appeared in only 58 games over the last two seasons. Ball also missed considerable time in his rookie year due to a fractured wrist.

Next season will be the first year of the five-year, projected $204.5 million rookie scale extension Ball signed last summer. The Hornets star point guard will make 25% of the cap on that lucrative extension, which is fully guaranteed with no options.

Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka recently met with the media ahead of training camp. When the topic of roster building came up, Pelinka said he’s open to trading first-round picks if the right deal came along.

“I think the philosophy that (Lakers coach) JJ (Redick) and I are aligned on is we want to build sustainable Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said. “And I think, when we talk about moves, you can make a move that backfires. I think every GM has made a trade where he says, ‘Maybe that one wasn’t ideal.’ But every lens that we look through has to lead to sustainable Lakers excellence.”

Pelinka and Redick also said that they are working out a plan for getting LeBron James and his son Bronny on the court together. It’s expected that early in the season the James duo will become the first father-son combo to play together in an NBA game.