Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. will undergo a surgical procedure on his lower back Wednesday and miss an indefinite period, his agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told ESPN on Monday.
Porter is expected to make a full recovery, and a timetable for his return will come after surgery, Bartelstein said.
Porter, who signed a five-year, $172 million max contract in September, has been searching for a nonsurgical option since injuring his back on Nov. 6, but multiple opinions landed on surgery.
Porter, 23, had back surgery prior to the 2018 NBA draft, spent his first season recovering and became one of the top young forwards in the league.
He averaged 19 points a season ago, and he formed a partnership with MVP Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray that represents one of the league’s top young cores.
Murray is recovering from a torn ACL, and Jokic is expected back soon from a wrist injury.
Denver (9-10) has lost six straight games and begins a seven-game road trip in Miami on Monday.