Nuggets president unsure if Porter Jr. will play next season
The Denver Nuggets were fortunate to have highly touted prospect Michael Porter Jr. fall to them at pick No. 14 in the NBA draft, but now they're faced with the health concerns behind his draft slide.
Team president Josh Kroenke told The Undisputed's Marc J. Spears that he's uncertain whether Porter will take the floor in Summer League, or even during the 2018-19 season.
Related - NBA draft winners and losers: Mavs score big with Doncic trade
The 19-year-old underwent back surgery in November and was forced to miss predraft workouts due to muscle spasms.
Even with those red flags, Kroenke is excited to have Porter Jr. on the roster.
"Michael is an incredible talent and we were surprised to see him available at No. 14," he told Spears. "We know the risks associated with him due to his recent back injury at Missouri, but he's an incredibly hard worker, is an outstanding young man, and we think he will fit in well with our up-and-coming group in Denver."
Porter hurt himself during the first half of Missouri's season opener. He returned for two appearances in the SEC and NCAA tournament, averaging 14 points per game on 31 percent shooting in those outings.