Pelicans head coach Willie Green said Monday that McCollum (lung) remains without a clear timeline to return to basketball activities, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. “They are still working it out with the doctors. They want to make sure CJ gets to the floor healthy and safely,” Green said. “Once they give us his timeline, we will know more. Right now, he can work out. But it’s really in their hands.”
McCollum has missed the Pelicans’ last eight games since being diagnosed Nov. 5 with a small pneumothorax in his right lung after he underwent medical imaging. The 32-year-old guard previously dealt with a collapsed right lung during the 2020-21 season while he was still a member of the Trail Blazers, missing 17 games over six weeks due to the injury. McCollum won’t necessarily face a similar timeline following the latest setback with his lung, but his return to game action doesn’t seem imminent either. Until McCollum is cleared to resume on-court work, a target date for his return to the New Orleans lineup likely won’t come into focus.
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