CJ McCollum was cleared from Day-To-Day on the Friday, Oct. 16 injury report, removing him from Atlanta's injury list hours before tipoff. He is available for the Hawks' season opener at the Mavericks that night.
What happened
McCollum came off the Day-To-Day tag on the 7:00 PM ET injury report Friday, with no detail or report comment attached to the clearance. It is the latest swing in a week and a half of status changes: he was Day-To-Day for rest on Monday, Oct. 12, had been cleared once already on Thursday, Oct. 8, and carried a nose/head Day-To-Day tag on Monday, Oct. 5. No expected-return timetable has been announced, since the clearance means he is no longer listed as out or questionable.
What it means for the Hawks
Atlanta opens its season at the Mavericks on Friday, Oct. 16 at 8:00 PM ET, and McCollum's clearance gives the Hawks their full backcourt option for that opener. Last season he averaged 18.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.8 minutes across 76 games. In games without him, Atlanta's rotation has leaned on Trae Young (28.0 minutes, 19.3 points), Dyson Daniels (33.2 minutes, 11.9 points), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (33.4 minutes, 20.8 points) and Jalen Johnson (35.2 minutes, 22.5 points), among others. The Hawks have not played a regular-season game yet, so there is no record to compare with or without him.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether McCollum's clearance holds through the rest of Atlanta's early schedule. No expected-return date applies since he is no longer listed as Day-To-Day. Elsewhere on the Hawks' report, Henri Veesaar is out with a right knee issue and Mouhamed Gueye is Day-To-Day with a left foot issue, both worth tracking as Atlanta's season begins.
Is CJ McCollum playing at the Mavericks?
Yes. McCollum was cleared from Day-To-Day on the Friday, Oct. 16 7:00 PM ET injury report, ahead of Atlanta's 8:00 PM ET game at Dallas.
When will CJ McCollum be back?
He is already back. McCollum's Day-To-Day tag was lifted on the Oct. 16 report, and no expected-return date applies since he is no longer listed as out or questionable.