Report: Porter suffers setback while rehabbing back injury

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. suffered a minor setback while rehabbing his back injury, The Denver Post's Mike Singer reports.

The setback is due to Porter overcompensating and overworking. With six regular-season games remaining, the Nuggets haven't made a decision about the talented wing's availability yet.

The 23-year-old underwent lumbar spine surgery - his third back procedure - on Dec. 1 and was targeting a return to action in March.

Porter averaged 19 points and 7.3 rebounds across 61 games last season. He struggled through nine appearances in 2021-22, however, posting just 9.9 points per game on 35.9% shooting.

He's in the final season of his rookie deal. His five-year, $172.5-million contract extension kicks in for the 2022-23 campaign.

With Porter and Jamal Murray both unavailable for the majority of this season, Denver has still earned a 45-31 record thanks in large part to Nikola Jokic's brilliance. The Nuggets currently occupy the sixth seed in the Western Conference.