Good news for the Portland Trail Blazers: CJ McCollum’s collapsed right lung has fully healed, the team announced on Thursday. He will be reevaluated next week, and in the meantime McCollum has been cleared for non-contact drills, increased conditioning, and shooting work.
McCollum hasn’t played since December 4th. In his absence, the Blazers, who have lost eight of their last 10, went 2-6 and currently reside as the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed at 13-19 for the season.
McCollum has been the subject of much trade speculation, particularly after the firing of former general manager Neil Olshey, who resisted breaking up the Damian Lillard-McCollum backcourt for years. Now that he’s nearing full health, perhaps those talks can pick back up.
For the season, McCollum is averaging 20.6 points per game, his lowest mark since his second year in the league. His 44.7 two-point shooting percentage is the lowest mark of his career. Per Cleaning the Glass, his 41-percent midrange conversion rate is a career low by a comfortable margin.
The Lillard-McCollum backcourt might’ve hit its ceiling years ago, but this season feels like the closing of an era. McCollum is likely to be dealt. Whether Lillard joins him and the Blazers break into a full rebuild remains a matter of debate.
