Michael Porter Jr. Sprains Knee In Nuggets Practice; Unlikely To Play In Summer League

DENVER (CBS4) -- The much-hyped professional debut of Michael Porter Jr. is on hold once again. Porter Jr. suffered a knee sprain during a team practice Wednesday night and is unlikely to play in the upcoming NBA Summer League according to a source.

Porter Jr., who was the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft missed his entire rookie season while rehabbing a back injury he suffered during his freshman year at Missouri.

The Nuggets are optimistic that the knee sprain will not be a major set back for Porter Jr. who is expected to have a key role in the Nuggets rotation this coming season. The team is also relieved that the knee sprain is not correlated to any of Porter Jr.'s previous injuries, according to a source.

"The best thing is it's not anything serious," said Nuggets summer league coach Jordi Fernandez. "Yes it's unfortunate, but he'll be back soon."

"You feel bad because the kid has been putting in a lot of work and he was excited to play, but obviously the most important thing for him is to be ready for the NBA season," added Fernandez.

The Nuggets will play their first summer league game on Friday in Las Vegas against the Phoenix Suns.