Nuggets' $179,299,750 forward reveals his shoulder injury needs up to 6-week recovery

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. sprained his left shoulder in Game 2 of his team's first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Since then, the 26-year-old has been playing through the injury, wearing an ice pack on his shoulder and receiving lidocaine injections to deal with the pain. If he were to sit out and focus on recovering, he could be out for six weeks.

Michael Porter Jr. is one of the key pieces to the Nuggets roster and has been since he made his debut in 2019. Denver rewarded him with a five year, $179,299,750 contract extension in 2021, according to Spotrac. His contributions helped his team capture a championship in 2023, and he is part of one of the best starting lineups in recent NBA history.

Michael Porter Jr.'s injury prevented him from playing at his best throughout the first round. However, the 6-foot-10 forward fought through the pain in the Nuggets' 113-104 overtime win in Game 3 of their second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Porter Jr. showed out in front of his home crowd on Friday, scoring 21 points and making five three-pointers in the victory.

If Porter Jr. wants to keep contributing to his team's playoff run, he doesn't have much of a choice but to play through the pain. He all but refused starting a traditional recovery process until the offseason.

"They said it would be 4-6 weeks," Porter Jr. said. "I’m not doing that."

Nuggets head coach David Adelman is glad to have Porter Jr. willing to play through injury in these playoffs. The interim head coach replaced Michael Malone when he was fired at the end of the regular season. Against all odds, he has his team two wins away from the Western Conference Finals. Nikola Jokic is leading the way for his team, but Porter Jr.'s play has rallied the team around him.

How much longer will Michael Porter Jr. play through injury for the Nuggets?

As long as he doesn't put his left arm into a compromising position, Michael Porter Jr. is able to play as he normally does despite the ice pack on his shoulder. He is committed to fighting through his injury for as long as the Nuggets need him to, which end up in him playing for another month.

Denver has a 2-1 lead in the second round, but would need eight wins across the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals before the job is finished. Porter Jr. is already doing everything he can to stay on the court for a Nuggets team that can't afford to have him sit out a game. His best chance at receiving rest is to help his team take care of the Thunder as quickly as possible.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors are locked into a competitive series split at one game apiece. If the series goes to a seventh game, they would be playing until May 20. That would give the Nuggets close to a week to recover if they finish off the Thunder in five games. Regardless, Porter Jr. is showing his commitment to his team in the postseason.