Nuggets big man Mason Plumlee has undergone a successful surgical procedure to repair a core muscle injury, the team announced today in a press release. According to Gina Mizell of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Plumlee played through the injury for a significant chunk of the 2017/18 season.
Plumlee is expected to resume basketball-related activities at some point this summer, and should be back to 100% by the time the Nuggets open training camp in September, per the club.
Plumlee, 28, signed a three-year, $41MM contract with Denver during the 2017 offseason, so he remains under contract with the club for two more years before becoming eligible for free agency again in 2020. The former Duke standout saw his playing time cut back in 2017/18, averaging a career-low 7.1 PPG to go along with 5.4 RPG and 1.9 APG in 19.4 minutes per contest.
With Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap set to return as the Nuggets’ starting frontcourt for 2018/19, Plumlee figures to continue playing a backup role at center going forward, as long as everyone stays healthy.