Nuggets small forward Michael Porter Jr. won\u2019t be available for Friday night\u2019s game against the Phoenix Suns due to contact tracing from the league\u2019s health and safety protocols, a league source confirmed to The Denver Post.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s internal expectation is that Porter will miss multiple games, the source said. The start of his week-long protocol began Thursday.\u00a0After Friday’s game against Phoenix, the Nuggets take on the Timberwolves on Sunday and again on Tuesday. After that, they’ve got the Mavericks next Thursday.<\/p>\n
It’s unclear whether a prior diagnosis might impact the time Porter’s out.<\/p>\n
Porter was among numerous Nuggets players late to the \u201cBubble,\u201d when he arrived in late July more than two weeks after the rest of the team did. Team officials later confirmed numerous cases of COVID, though Porter\u2019s case was never specifically confirmed.<\/p>\n
Porter took over the starting small forward job at the start of this season with mixed results. His last game, Denver\u2019s second loss to Sacramento this season, Porter had 30 points and 10 rebounds but struggled defensively.<\/p>\n
Veteran Will Barton is likely to start in his place until Porter returns to basketball activities.<\/p>\n