Markieff Morrisis set to undergo sports hernia surgery Friday, and may sit out the NBA preseason.
#Wizards’ Markieff Morris to have surgery on sports hernia, timeline to return is undetermined https://t.co/2NTDtyC13t
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) September 20, 2017
Morris, 28, averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season, and is currently facing felony assault charges in Phoenix.
The Washington Wizards open their training camp next Tuesday.
Per the WaPo:
Morris, 28, recently received the diagnosis, according to a person familiar with the situation, after spending parts of the summer working out in preparation for the upcoming season. In July, Morris traveled to Las Vegas and participated in informal workouts with several teammates. He then returned to Washington and continued his offseason program. Later in the summer, Morris began complaining about deep discomfort as he exhibited symptoms of a sports hernia. Because of the birth of his daughter and the trial, the procedure — expected to be done in St. Louis — was delayed until this week. Wizards training camp opens Tuesday in Richmond.
Morris and four other men, including twin brother Marcus, are facing charges stemming from a 2015 incident outside a Phoenix recreation center. If found guilty, there is the possibility of prison time as well as a minimum suspension from the NBA of 10 games. The Morris brothers and one other defendant have pleaded not guilty. The other two co-defendants pleaded guilty last week to the same charges.
This is not the first time Morris has endured a sports hernia.
In 2010, before the start of Morris’s junior season at the University of Kansas, he had hernia surgery. After that procedure, Morris missed only preseason practices and returned to play in Kansas exhibition games. He went on to start 34 of 38 games and post the best season of his collegiate career. Morris and his brother declared for the NBA draft the following summer.
