Denver Nuggets guard Isaiah Thomas, left, sits on the bench with injured rookie forward Michael Porter Jr. and forward Jarred Vanderbilt during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. Hopes to Play at Summer League Despite Knee Injury

Megan ArmstrongJul 6, 2019

Michael Porter Jr. is not deterred.

Porter has yet to play an NBA game since the Denver Nuggets drafted him at No. 14 overall in 2018. The 21-year-old was set to make his professional debut in the Nuggets' Las Vegas Summer League opener Friday night, but he suffered a left knee sprain during a Wednesday scrimmage.

"It really wasn't that big of a deal," Porter said, according to Michael Spencer of CBS4. "Just landed a little bit funny. Nothing crazy, but I got up with a little bit of a limp. They just decided to give me a few days to rest. But I told them I'm still going to try and get out there at some point during summer league."

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A knee sprain is nothing compared to the injuries Porter has had to wade through to this point.

His collegiate career at Missouri was kept to three games because of back surgery in November 2017 to treat herniated disks. He then had surgery on his lumbar spine in July 2018.

Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reported that the Nuggets don't see summer league as worth the risk for Porter and expect him to be ready for training camp.