Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton told local reporters Friday that point guard Lonzo Ball might not play again this season.

Ball suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain on Jan. 19 against the Houston Rockets and has been out ever since. The second-year guard also has a bone bruise in his left ankle.

The Lakers have 17 games remaining on the season and are pretty much out of the playoff race, so it makes sense for the organization to shut Ball down:

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If his season is over, Lonzo Ball will have averaged 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest. The 21-year-old has shooting percentages of 40.6 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from beyond the arc and 41.7 percent from the free-throw line.

What was supposed to be an exciting season for the Lakers with LeBron James on the squad has turned into a disaster. Los Angeles was the fourth seed in the Western Conference before James suffered a groin injury on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors.

Los Angeles hasn't been able to recover from that and will almost certainly miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Ball's name was mentioned in trade rumors during the Anthony Davis trade saga. The Lakers are expected to make a play for Davis again this summer, which means Ball could be on the move.