Getty Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
While the Denver Nuggets continue their push through the 2019 NBA Playoffs, there are one or two players who are somewhat out of sight but not out of mind. One of which is rookie forward Michael Porter Jr., and while he may not a focal point currently, that doesn’t mean he’s not worth talking about. It actually proved to be just the opposite as of late, when some positive news on the first-round pick’s injury outlook moving forward came to light.
Unfortunately, it’s not that Porter will suit up for the Nuggets during the playoffs at any point. But as The Athletic’s Joe Vardon revealed during a recent story, the former Missouri Tiger is now healthy and will be ready to play in the upcoming NBA Summer League.
On Saturday, Thomas’ playing partners were Porter Jr., who is fully healthy from back surgery and will play for the Nuggets at Summer League in Las Vegas (sources say Denver’s first game could be against whichever team drafts Zion Williamson); second-year player Tyler Lydon; rookie Jarred Vanderbilt; two-way players Thomas Welsh and Brandon Goodwin; and a Nuggets’ player development coach.
Nuggets fans have to love to hear this, and the idea of a Game 1 matchup pitting Porter against Zion Williamson would make for must-see TV, for a number of reasons. Regardless, the fact that Vardon called him “fully healthy” and seems to be confident in the 20-year-old’s outlook is great news for the team and also the No. 14 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Michael Porter Jr.’s Injury & Back Surgery
While there was some hope that Porter would be able to return during the 2018-19 NBA season, that wasn’t expected to be the case by the front office when they drafted him. After all, Porter had missed almost his entire freshman season at Missouri due to a back injury suffered in his first game.
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After Porter underwent back surgery in November, he proceeded to slip in the draft before the Nuggets selected him at No. 14 overall. It was considered a pick with tremendous upside, and for a team that already had a strong roster and wasn’t desperately in need of an instant-impact player, this was an ideal fit.
Michael Porter Jr. Was Expected to Miss 2018-19 NBA Season
As Joel Rush of Forbes.com revealed previously, announcer Corey Maggette stated that Nuggets assistant general manager Calvin Booth had said the expectation was Porter would sit out the year. In turn, the current outlook and approach from the Nuggets and Porter isn’t at all surprising.
“I talked to [Nuggets assistant general manager] Calvin Booth,” Maggette shared. “They said Porter will probably sit out this entire year, and be ready for next season.”
Considering how much depth the Nuggets had this season, it makes sense that the decision was made to let Porter sit the year out and likely make his debut at the start of the 2019-20 season. One safe assumption that can be made is that NBA fans will have their eyes locked on Porter, who was the No. 2 rated high school player with a grade of 97 from the class of 2017, per ESPN.
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Michael Porter Jr. Injury: Latest Updates on Nuggets Forward’s Status