Michael Porter Jr. says he's free of pain after a second surgery on his back. Porter hopes to be on the court near the start of the 18-19 season.

"I finally feel, like, good," Porter said.

"I don't have a date but I'm hoping to be back for the beginning of the year. Gotta heal up, but I feel great," said Porter. "I'm able to get on the court a little bit right now, do something different things. But my rehab has definitely been very conservative. They're really taking it easy with me, being patient with me."

Porter underwent a microdiscectomy in November 2017 that repaired one of two bulging discs in his back. He underwent a second spinal surgery in July.