Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. to Have Back Surgery; Reportedly Out for Rest of Season

The Denver Nuggets will reportedly be without Michael Porter Jr. for the rest of the season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the forward will undergo back surgery that will sideline him for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign. Charania noted both sides are taking a "big-picture approach" since Porter's five-year contract extension starts next season.

Porter's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski the lower-back surgery will take place Wednesday, and the expectation is he will make a full recovery.

Back concerns are nothing new for the 23-year-old.

He played just three games during his only college season at Missouri after injuring his back in the season opener and undergoing surgery, which didn't allow the highly regarded recruit to fulfill expectations at that level.

It didn't stop the Nuggets from selecting him with a first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2018 NBA draft, but he missed his rookie season because of a second back surgery before the campaign.

Porter appeared in 55 games in 2019-20 and 61 games in 2020-21 but will play just nine games this season assuming he doesn't make an unexpected return.

"He's 23 years old," teammate Austin Rivers told reporters Nov. 15. "He's gotta take care of himself and get himself right physically and that way mentally he can come to the court playing the way that we know he can play. He's playing hurt this whole season. It's hard to do that. Hopefully, he comes back soon because he's a huge part of our team."

This is another setback for a Nuggets team that has dealt with plenty this season.

Jamal Murray is yet to take the court as he recovers from a torn ACL, P.J. Dozier suffered a torn ACL during a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic has not played since Nov. 18 due to a wrist injury.

The result has been an inconsistent season and a 9-10 record, placing Denver 10th in the Western Conference.