Nuggets' Michael Porter to have potential season-ending back surgery

Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. will undergo surgery on his lower back Wednesday, which could end his 2021-22 season.

Sources told ESPN, the Denver Post and The Athletic on Monday that Porter will have surgery. Porter's agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told ESPN and the Post that the forward will miss an "indefinite" period of time.

Sources told The Athletic that Porter is not expected to return this season.

Porter, 23, averaged 9.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game through nine appearances this season. He last played in a Nuggets win over the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6 in Denver.

The No. 14 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft averaged 19 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in 61 appearances in 2020-21. Porter also missed his entire rookie season due to a back injury.

Porter agreed to a five-year, $172 million rookie-scale max contract extension with the Nuggets in September. His salary jumps from $5.2 million this season to $29.7 million in 2022-23.

The Nuggets (9-10) face the Miami Heat (13-7) at 7:30 p.m. EST Monday at FTX Arena in Miami.