Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. underwent lumbar spine surgery, the team announced Wednesday afternoon, and he’s out indefinitely.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Andrew Dossett at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas.
“They went into surgery hoping to find exactly what they found,” Porter’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told The Denver Post. “It went great. He can already feel a difference.”
Porter, 23, has had three back surgeries, including two since the Nuggets drafted him in 2018. Porter had been playing hurt all season before tweaking his back against Houston on Nov. 6. He was dealing with a nerve issue in his back, as The Denver Post first reported.
Porter, who signed a five-year, max deal with the Nuggets in September, sought multiple opinions before settling on another back surgery, sources said.
His new deal, which includes $145 million guaranteed, begins next season.
Porter’s first back surgery came during his only college season at Missouri and kept him out around four months. The second came after the Nuggets drafted him with the No. 14 pick in the 2018 draft. Porter missed his entire rookie season as a result.
Through nine games this season, Porter was averaging 9.9 points on 36% shooting from the field.
