Blazers star CJ McCollum set to return Monday vs. Magic

The Trail Blazers have endured a rough season, but they will get one of their top players back in action on Monday.

Guard CJ McCollum will be in uniform against Orlando after fully recovering from a collapsed lung, an injury he suffered against Boston on Dec. 4, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Portland indicated in a press release two days before Christmas that McCollum’s lung had healed, but he required several more weeks of recovery to regain his conditioning.

McCollum has averaged 20.6 points and 4.5 assists on .424/.393/.700 shooting in 24 games (35.3 minutes) so far this season. The 30-year-old, who is in the first year of a three-year, $100M contract, could be an in-season trade candidate.

McCollum’s long-term backcourt partner, Damian Lillard, underwent abdominal surgery on Thursday and will be reevaluated in five to six weeks. Portland is currently 10th in the Western Conference standings with a 16-25 record.