CLEVELAND — An already disappointing Cleveland Cavaliers season appeared to get worse on Sunday when Kevin Porter Jr. went down holding his knee in the first quarter of the team's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It doesn't, however, appear that the rookie guard/forward's injury will be as serious as first imagined. On Monday, the Cavs announced that after undergoing an MRI, Porter has been officially diagnosed with a left knee sprain and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks.
According to a press release from the Cavs, "Porter will undergo a period of treatment, rehabilitation and evaluation. His return to basketball activities will be updated as appropriate."
Selected with the No. 30 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, the 19-year-old Porter has been one of the few bright spots this season for a Cavs team that currently lays claim to the NBA's third-worst record at 10-26. Appearing in 34 games, the 6-foot-4 swingman has averaged 8.5 points on 43.9 percent shooting and 3.3 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.
With Porter out of the lineup and Jordan Clarkson having been traded to the Utah Jazz, Cleveland could give extended playing time to reserve guard Brandon Knight, as well as the newly acquired Dante Exum. Currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak heading into Tuesday's matchup against the Detroit Pistons, the Cavs find themselves facing no shortage of off-court drama, with disgruntled All-Star forward Kevin Love having reportedly gotten into a heated exchange with general manager Koby Altman over the weekend.
RELATED: Kevin Porter Jr. suffers knee injury in Cleveland Cavaliers' 118-103 loss to Minnesota Timberwolves