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The Portland Trail Blazers announced Wednesday that rookie guard CJ McCollum has been assigned to the Idaho Stampede, the team's D-League affiliate, as he recovers from a foot injury.
McCollum (6-3, 197, Lehigh University), the 10th overall pick by the Trail Blazers in the 2013 NBA Draft, has been sidelined since fracturing his left foot in training camp. He was recently cleared to return to practice.
He is expected to join the Stampede today and be available when the team hosts the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday, January 3 and Saturday, January 4 in Boise, Idaho.
McCollum broke the fifth metatarsal of his left foot during training camp, and he discussed the injury right here. He underwent an ultrasound procedure to treat the injury in mid-October and had been listed as out indefinitely since. McCollum underwent a follow-up in mid-November and a CT scan in mid-December, and he was cleared to practice on Dec. 20 after being cleared for three-on-three action on Dec. 12. Until Wednesday, McCollum had not had a specific return date and it's not immediately clear how long his stint with the Stampede will last.
McCollum previously broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot back in January 2013, and he underwent surgery after sustaining that injury. His initial recovery timeline after that injury was set at 8-to-10 weeks but he did not return for the rest of the 2012-13 NCAA season. McCollum did not participate in the skills portion of the Chicago pre-draft combine in May but he went through a solo workout with the Blazers in June. He told reporters that he was fully healed prior to playing for the Blazers at the 2013 Las Vegas Summer League in July.
McCollum, 22, was taken with the No. 10 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He averaged 21 points, 4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34.6 minutes over five Summer League appearances.
McCollum -- who pencils as the fourth guard on the Blazers' depth chart behind Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews and Mo Williams -- was interviewed earlier this season on Blazers Courtside. He was regarded by his peers as one of the favorites to win the 2014 Rookie of the Year award prior to his injury.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter