Michael Porter Jr. fell to No. 14 in Thursday's NBA Draft amid medical concerns, and although his status remains unclear, the Nuggets appear confident they can get Porter back to where he needs to be on the court.
“I have little doubt that we’ll get him right,” Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said Friday, via The Denver Post.
Many teams at the top of the draft skipped over the 6-10 forward out of fear about his long-term medical outlook. He played only three games in 2017-18 with Missouri, suffering a back injury just two minutes into his college career. That injury, a herniated disk, required surgery.
Prior to the injury, Porter was widely regarded as the potential No. 1 overall pick.
The Nuggets, however, decided Porter was worth the risk after doing their research.
“We poured over the medical records again and had our doctors there,” Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said. "We had quite a bit of information at our fingertips and we kind of vet as much as you can and make an informed decision. Is it well worth the risk? Will he return to the level of play he was prior to injury? We feel good about that.”
Porter's status remains unclear as he explained during his introductory press conference that whether he plays in the team's summer league will be up to coach Michael Malone. He said, "I could play, but I could be even healthier."
Kroenke told The Undefeated he was uncertain about whether Porter would play in summer league or during the 2018-19 season.
“Michael is an incredible talent and we were surprised to see him available at No. 14,” Kroenke told The Undefeated via a text message. “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.”
The Nuggets likely will not rush Porter's return to the court.
