Charlotte Hornets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) has been downgraded from doubtful to out for Wednesday's game versus the Chicago Bulls. Ball continues to nurse soreness in his right ankle, which has cost him the team's past two contests, and he'll aim to return when the 10-35 Hornets head out for a brief one-game road trip on Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Terry Rozier now in South Beach, Charlotte has been forced to turn to swingman Cody Martin as their starting point guard. Over Martin's past nine games without Ball in the lineup, he is averaging 8.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers and is worth a look in deep fantasy leagues despite a tough matchup against Alex Caruso's lockdown defense.

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (elbow) is considered probable for a game against Chicago on Wednesday. The 25-year-old is dealing with a left elbow contusion, but the injury isn't expected to keep Bridges out of action. Bridges has put together a very strong stretch of games recently and will go for an eighth consecutive game with 20-plus points on Wednesday. He's also logged three double-doubles during his recent scoring surge.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) is listed as doubtful for Wednesday's clash with the Bulls. He's been out for a couple of games already, and it looks like Ball will be forced to sit again on Wednesday due to a right ankle problem. Ish Smith and P.J. Washington have picked up starts during Ball's recent absence. The latter exploded for 43 points against Washington on Saturday and appears to be gaining momentum in fantasy basketball.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) is dealing with ankle issues again and has been listed as questionable for their game against the New York Knicks on Monday. One of the biggest concerns has been Ball's ankles as they've forced him to miss several games over the past couple of seasons. He already missed a little more than a month due to an ankle sprain earlier in the season, so it wouldn't be surprising if the team gave him some extra rest days to make sure that doesn't happen again. If he's unable to suit up like in their last game on Saturday, Ish Smith could move into the starting lineup again. Nick Smith Jr. could also see some playing time, but he would be a bigger risk as a streamer.

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges will become a free agent following the 2023-24 NBA season and is expected to be a prominent name in trade talks until the Feb. 8 deadline. Bridges missed all of last season and served a 10-game suspension to start this year due to a domestic-violence case, but he is currently among the 10 or more players on the Phoenix Suns' radar. If traded, Bridges would lose his bird rights, meaning teams cannot go over the salary cap to pay him, and he can also veto any trade. The Suns don't have the cap space to retain him in the offseason, but Bridges could provide a significant boost for their title run this season. He is currently averaging 20.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 36 minutes per game.