A source tells Mike Singer of The Denver Post that Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are expected to be physically cleared to return to action before the regular season ends. However, a person close to Murray tells Singer that the prolonged rehab process as he recovers from a torn ACL has been more mentally challenging than Murray anticipated.
The Nuggets say Murray will return when he’s ready, both physically and mentally. So even if he’s physically cleared, he might not return this season. Ultimately Murray will decide when that exact date is.
Porter’s situation is different, Singer writes, because he’s already had multiple back surgeries and understands how his body responds to injury, surgery and rehab. Porter has progressed rapidly and has been going extensive shooting drills after practices.
“We couldn’t be happier with where he’s at in terms of his recovery from surgery and his progression towards playing,” Mark Bartelstein, Porter’s agent, told The Denver Post. “He badly wants to play, but we need to check all the boxes before that happens. He’s in as good of a place as we could’ve imagined.”
The Nuggets have actually had to caution Porter not to overexert himself in the recovery process, as they want him healthy long-term after inking him to a rookie scale max extension prior to the season. There’s no official timeline for either player to return.
Here’s more from Denver:
- Guard Monte Morris was absent during the team’s loss to Boston Friday night because he’s in the NBA’s concussion protocol, as Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets.
- The Nuggets made a minor trade last month and were active ahead of the deadline, but several possibilities fell through. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly said he was slightly disappointed about the inactivity, per Singer of The Denver Post. Appearing on Altitude Radio Friday morning, Connelly also said that it would be “irresponsible” not try and build around reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in the midst of his prime.
- In a separate article for The Post, Singer explains that the Nuggets didn’t need to make moves because they recognize that the potential returns of Murray and/or Porter could be more impactful than any deal they had lined up. Coach Michael Malone explained that was the case. “We’re not in a situation where we feel we need to make a move,” Malone said. “… We understand that this year, without Jamal and Michael, it’s different than most.”
- Matt Schubert of The Denver Post graded Connelly’s deadline performance, giving him a B-plus. Schubert writes that the absences of two of the team’s top three players has put a ceiling on the team, and another trade on the fringes likely wouldn’t have changed the season outcome significantly — only the return of those missing players might. He also notes that Connelly didn’t trade away any future first-round picks, which is important because he’s proven to be adept at finding hidden gems on draft night.