Markieff Morris may finally be able to return to the Miami Heat.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Morris was given permission to play again. This is more than four months after his injury in a fight with Nikola Jokic in Denver. The clearance was not disclosed publicly, so the person spoke on Friday to The Associated Press under anonymity.
The final step in the return process was this week when Morris’ case before the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel was heard. This panel consists of three doctors who determine if a player, according to the league’s collective agreement, is “medically able” and “medically fit to practice and to play.”
The panel decided that Morris could return and that he will be available to play sometime in Miami’s remaining homestand — Saturday against Minnesota or Tuesday against Detroit — and that he can.
Morris has been training for several weeks with the hopes of being back in the Heat’s lineup. Morris has been shooting pregame shots on the floor, including one Friday before Miami hosted Cleveland.
Friday’s game was the 58th consecutive one that Morris missed.
On Nov. 8, Jokic, the league’s reigning MVP, got into a scuffle. The Heat diagnosed the injury as whiplash that night. Morris has not played since.
Before getting hurt, he was averaging 7.7 point per game in 18.7 minutes off Miami’s bench. Morris, who was awarded a title in 2020 with Los Angeles Lakers, a championship against Miami, has averaged 11 points across six stints.
The scuffle occurred late in the Nov. 8 game, just after Heat anger was raised after no call was made after Jokic was accused of fouling Miami center Bam Adebayo. Morris intentionally crashed into Jokic from the side and stopped play a few second later, which was flagrant by referees.
Jokic blindsided Morris with a hard push from behind, which was a poor play from Jokic. He later admitted that it was “a stupid move.”
Jokic was removed from the team for one game because of his shove. Morris, who was signed by Miami to a $2.6 million one-year deal this offseason, was fined $50,000.
