Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball has been shut down for the remainder of the season, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk Saturday.
Ball has been dealing with a bone bruise that’s related to a Grade 3 ankle sprain suffered on Jan. 19. The determination to shut him down was made after Ball was re-evaluated by doctors Saturday.
The report comes just hours after the Lakers announced they were shutting down forward Brandon Ingram for the rest of the season after he was diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right arm.
Ingram, who is averaging a career-best 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, had missed the past two games with a sore right shoulder. Further tests on Friday revealed the diagnosis.
He had started every game this season before the injury.
On Thursday, coach Luke Walton said Ingram was experiencing pain whenever he lifted his right arm.
“We’ve released what he’s got going on, but I’m not going to get into all the details,” Walton said. “I’m just finding out a lot of it myself. All I’m going to say on him right now is that he’s out for the rest of the season.”
A deep venous thrombosis is a condition caused by a blood clot, frequently accompanied by swelling and pain in a limb. The condition usually occurs in legs, but can occur in the upper body.
Blood clots have affected several prominent athletes including Chris Bosh and Serena Williams in recent years. Bosh eventually retired due to blood clotting issues, but many other athletes have continued to play.
Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers’ second-leading scorer with 18.8 points per game, also is out with a sprained ankle.
The Lakers went 15-8 when LeBron James, Ingram and Ball all played this season. However, the team is just 15-27 when at least one did not play, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The trio has not been on the court together since Christmas Day.
The Lakers (30-35) are in 10th place in the Western Conference heading into their rivalry meeting with Boston on Saturday night.
They trail San Antonio by 6.5 games for the final playoff spot, meaning James likely will miss the postseason for the first time since 2005.
The Lakers decision to shut down Ball was first reported by The Athletic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.