Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. to be cleared for on-court contact, eyeing March return

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is progressing to be cleared for on-court contact within the next week, freeing a path for him to return to the lineup sometime in March, his agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN on Sunday.

Porter underwent lumbar spine surgery three months ago, a procedure that's allowed him to return to the floor moving and shooting pain-free in recent weeks. Once Porter is cleared for contact, it's expected it'll just be the matter of a final ramp up until his return in March.

The impact of a Porter return to the Nuggets (35-25), who've risen to sixth in the Western Conference without the forward and guard Jamal Murray, could be significant with Nikola Jokic chasing back-to-back MVP awards. There is still hope that Murray — who suffered an ACL tear last season — could make a return prior to the playoffs too.

Porter, 23, averaged 19 points on 54 percent shooting, including 44.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. He was one of five players in the NBA to average 15 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3 for the 2020-2021 season, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

This season, struggling with the back injury, he had only averaged 9.9 points before playing his final game prior to surgery on November 6.

Porter signed a five-year, $172.5 million contract extension in the offseason. This his third back procedure since November of 2017, his freshmen year at Missouri.