CJ McCollum expected to return on Wednesday

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that McCollum was aiming to play at some point this week, while Marc J. Spears of Andscape (X link) indicated on Tuesday that the veteran was planning to take part in Wednesday’s shootaround and hoped to suit up vs. the Sixers.

The Pelicans officially listed McCollum as questionable for Wednesday’s contest before upgrading him to probable today (X link).

McCollum appeared in just six games before being diagnosed with small pneumothorax in his right lung. He was averaging 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .440/.380/.742.

The Pelicans went 4-2 with McCollum in the lineup and have gone just 5-7 without him, so they’ll be glad to get him in their lineup as they look to make a push up the Western Conference standings.

According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (X links), McCollum – who wasn’t permitted to fly during his recovery from the collapsed lung – won’t travel with the Pelicans to Chicago for this Saturday’s game, which is the second end of a back-to-back set. However, he intends to meet the club in Sacramento for Monday’s in-season tournament quarterfinal.