Michael Porter Jr. "pain-free" following second back surgery, hopes to play at beginning of season

Denver Nuggets first-round pick Michael Porter Jr. says he’s pain-free following a second back surgery in July, and the 20-year-old is hoping to be able to play at the beginning of the season.

“I don’t have a date, but I’m hoping to be back for the beginning of the year. Gotta heal up, but I feel great,” Porter told ESPN at the NBA’s annual rookie photo shoot in New York. “I’m able to get on the court a little bit right now, do something different things. But my rehab has definitely been very conservative. They’re really taking it easy with me, being patient with me.

“(Doctors originally) only thought one of (the bulging discs) was symptomatic. They went in and fixed that one. Turns out that both were symptomatic. So my first surgery helped a lot but didn’t fix the entire problem. Now that they did this one, I’ve got no pain or anything. I’m excited.”

Porter’s first surgery in November, a microdiscectomy of the L3 and L4 spinal discs, caused the 6-foot-10 forward most of his freshman season at Missouri. Porter returned and appeared in the Tigers’ final two games of the year, but questions surrounding his medicals dropped him down NBA draft boards in May.

Porter underwent surgery of the lumbar spine, his second back surgery in nine months, in July. Following the procedure, Porter Jr.’s father told the KC Star that according to his son’s latest prognosis, he could be ready to play at the start of the season.

The Nuggets issued an update on Porter on July 13 that said he has “no timetable for his return to basketball participation” following his latest surgery.

After selected Porter 14th overall, the Nuggets have maintained a conservative approach to the lottery pick’s rehab and recovery. High-ranking Nuggets officials from president Josh Kroenke to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly have repeatedly stressed that their plan is to bring Porter along slowly. Porter walked out of his introductory press conference at Pepsi Center with a noticeable limp. He wasn’t included on the Nuggets’ Summer League roster in July but was around the team in Las Vegas.

“We understood the risk-reward situation with Michael Porter, and we felt at 14 he was far too great of a talent to pass up,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said at Summer League “And we’re going to to be patient. We’re not going to rush him back and that’s the luxury we have”

“We have a very good team coming back, we have a very deep team so there’s no reason for us to say ‘Michael’s got to play this year.’ We’re going to give him all the time and treatment he needs to get better and hopefully he can get back and help us this year.”

Denver will hold Media Day on Sep. 24 with a week-long training camp to follow. The Nuggets’ first preseason game is scheduled for Sep. 30 in San Diego versus the Lakers.

The Nuggets open the season Oct. 17 in Los Angeles against the Clippers.