The Washington Wizards absorbed another blow after veteran forward Markieff Morris was ruled out for at least six weeks.
The team announced on Thursday that Morris was diagnosed with transient cervical neuropraxia. The 29-year-old forward has been dealing with neck and upper back pain since he was hit by LeBron James during their game against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 16.
Initial MRI revealed no significant damage. Morris actually managed to play in their next five games before aggravating the injury during their 106-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons on December 26. The team decided to seek second opinion from specialists to determine the extent of the injury.
According to the Wizards, a recent visit to Dr. Andrew Dossett and Dr. Wiemi Douoguih revealed that Morris sustained transient cervical neuropraxia. The eighth-year forward will be limited to non-contact activities in the next six weeks, and is expected to be reevaluated after that period.




Morris is having a decent season with the Wizards this season. The former Kansas standout is averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for Washington, who currently holds a 15-23 record.
The Wizards were already playing without several key players before Morris was ruled out for the next six weeks. Starting center Dwight Howard underwent back surgery in December, and is not expected to return anytime soon. Otto Porter Jr. was also out for three weeks due to a knee injury before returning to the roster on Wednesday.
Wizards superstar John Wall also opted to go under the knife to treat bone spurs in his left heel. Wall, who averaged 20.7 points and 8.7 assists in 32 games, will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 NBA season.