New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has not played since November 4, as the veteran guard has been on the injury report due to right lung small pneumothorax. While he has missed the Pelicans' last 12 games, McCollum is set to return on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Based on the Pelicans' latest injury report and update, McCollum is expected to suit up and play against the Sixers barring any last minute changes or setbacks after being upgraded from questionable to probable. Ramping up his activities in practice the last couple of days and not facing any limitations, the Pelicans have slowly upgraded McCollum's status throughout the week.

Now, the 32-year-old guard returns to the court for New Orleans, who recently clinched their spot in the knockout round of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Without McCollum in their lineup, the Pelicans went 5-7, but they have won five of their last eight games.

In his absence, the Pelicans turned to Dyson Daniels, Naji Marshall, and Matt Ryan, all of which have stepped up into bigger roles than expected. McCollum's return creates a good problem for the Pels to figure out regarding how minutes are allocated.

While the sample size is small, McCollum has put together a solid start to the 2023-24 season. In a total of six games, the veteran has averaged 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 38.0 percent from three-point range. McCollum's perimeter shooting and playmaking abilities are what the Pelicans really missed, especially with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson having to carry the load offensively.

It is unknown whether or not CJ McCollum will have a minutes restriction in his first game back from injury against the Sixers.