Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris is undergoing surgery on a sports hernia and is expected to miss training camp. 

Markieff Morris, 28, is reportedly going to have surgery this Friday to address a sports hernia, and that can leave him sidelined until the end of the preseason, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The Washington Wizards, who already have a problem with depth, start training camp on Tuesday.

Per Buckner, Morris had the procedure pushed this far back because of the birth of his daughter, but also because he had to go to trial for a felony assault charge.

This season is going to be Morris’ seventh in the NBA and second full with the Wizards. Last year, he appeared in 76 games and averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 45.7 percent from the field. Washington finished 49-33, fourth in the conference.

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Over the second-half of the season, Washington leaned on Morris heavily. In January, he averaged 17.3 points and shot 41.4 percent from three, and he continued that through February — 17.6 points on 39.4 percent from deep. Morris also brings an edge whenever he plays; the never back down attitude that Wizards fans have grown accustomed to over his short tenure.

He benefitted from playing alongside John Wall, but that goes both ways. Without Morris, the floor isn’t as open, and Wall is a guard who loves to attack the basket and get into the teeth of the defense.

Fortunately for the Wizards, Markieff Morris shouldn’t miss much of the season — if any. Their rotation can’t withstand Morris being sidelined for an extended period of time, and he’s someone who Scott Brooks can run with his second-unit to give them the firepower they desperately need.

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