Fresh off inking a 5yr/$172.6M max contract extension this summer, Denver Nuggets Forward Michael Porter Jr. is now out for the foreseeable future following back surgery. The Nuggets announced on their team site Wednesday that “Michael Porter Jr. has undergone lumbar spine surgery performed by Dr. Andrew Dossett at the Carrell Clinic. He will be out indefinitely.”
Only 23 years old, the operation marks the 3rd procedure, and second since joining the Nuggets, that the former Missouri Tiger has undergone in his young career. While the team hasn’t ruled out a possible return later this year, the expectation is that Porter’s 2021-22 season is done.
Originally projected as a possible 1st overall selection in the 2018 draft, Porter only managed to play 53 minutes of college ball before his ailing back sidelined him. He underwent his first procedure in 2017 and saw his draft stock slide all the way to 14th overall where the Nuggets were happy to roll the dice on the talented big man. He would ultimately undergo a second procedure in the summer of 2018 and sit out his rookie campaign.
When healthy, Porter is a nightmare for opposing defenses as he possesses a rare combination of size and shooting ability that makes him difficult to guard in the halfcourt. Last year he posted career highs of 19ppg/7.3rpg while shooting 45% from beyond the 3 point line. The issue however is that an ailing back is difficult enough to treat for those with even a sedentary lifestyle, let alone a 6’10” NBA forward.
With no clear timeline for his return, and Denver hovering around the .500 mark record wise, the Nuggets season is quickly coming off the rails. Already missing star point guard Jamal Murray to a torn ACL, a once promising season is quickly looking like a lost cause in the competitive western conference. There remains no timetable for either Murray or Porter Jr. to return to NBA action at the moment.
Denver is next in action Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.