Trail Blazers' Zach Collins out indefinitely following second ankle surgery

Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins underwent revision surgery Wednesday to repair a left medial malleolus stress fracture, the team announced in a press release. A specific timeline for his return hasn’t been set, with the team indicating he’ll be out indefinitely.

It’s the second procedure Collins has undergone on his left ankle, which he injured during the NBA’s summer restart. He first had surgery on that ankle on Sept. 1.

It’s a tough setback for Collins, who hoped to return to action at some point in January. Since entering Portland’s starting lineup on a full-time basis at the start of the ’19-20 season, the 23-year-old has only been able to play in 11 games, missing most of last year due to shoulder surgery.

In 154 career regular-season games (17.5 MPG), Collins has averaged 5.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG on .444/.324/.722 shooting.

Collins was eligible for a rookie scale extension prior to the start of this season, but he and the Trail Blazers opted to table contract negotiations until the summer of 2021. The thinking was that Collins would get a chance to prove his value after a lost 2019-20 campaign. Now it’s no longer clear exactly if or when he’ll get that opportunity.