Ja Morant will miss the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder in training on Saturday and immediately underwent tests to discover the severity of the problem.
Read our other NFL news stories here:
Washington fire Rivera but strengthen front office
Carolina Panthers fire GM Fitterer after 2-15 season
Belichick open to new role
Those tests revealed an underlying labral tear which requires surgery, ruling the 24-year-old out for the remainder of the campaign.
It is a major blow for the Grizzlies, who had to make do without Morant for the first 25 games of the season with the player serving a suspension for brandishing a firearm on a social media video.
His return prompted an upturn in form – the Grizzlies went 6-3 with Morant in the line-up due in part to his 25.1 points-per-game average and 8.1 assists.
The two-time All-Star will now focus on getting fit while the Grizzlies look to improve on a 13-23 record that leaves them in 13th place in the Western Conference.
