Report: Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. Could Miss Several Days for Health Protocols

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. will sit out Friday's New Year's Day game against the Phoenix Suns and could miss a "number of days" because of the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the absence is related to COVID-19 contact tracing.

Porter started the week-long protocol Thursday, and the Nuggets' expectation is that he'll miss multiple games before getting cleared, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post. No further details about what prompted the tracing were immediately released.

The 22-year-old University of Missouri product was one of the breakout stars of the NBA's bubble in Orlando last season, highlighted by a 37-point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It earned him a larger role during the team's playoff run.

He's parlayed that into a starting spot to open the 2020-21 season. He's averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 56.6 percent from the field in four games. Some of his defensive deficiencies have become more apparent while playing nearing 30 minutes per contest, though.

"I went from DNPs to starting on a Western Conference finals team in the playoffs," Porter told reporters before the regular season started. "I learned a lot in one year and looking to carry that over to this year. I want to make a really big jump."

The 2018 first-round pick will likely be replaced by Will Barton in the starting lineup with the team shifting toward more small-ball lineups around center Nikola Jokic.

Isaiah Hartenstein, Bol Bol and JaMychal Green are among the frontcourt reserves who could also see an uptick in playing time over the next week.

Based on the protocol timing, Porter could be cleared to return either Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks or Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers if he continues to test negative.

After Friday's meeting with the Suns, the Nuggets have back-to-back matchups with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and Tuesday before facing off with the Mavs.

Porter should slide right back into a key role once cleared.