Clippers forward Corey Maggette is optimistic about this weekend. Either Saturday or Sunday the cast will be removed from his left foot, and if an MRI shows complete healing, he will begin a rehabilitation program leading to his return.

"If everything goes right, then I could be back a little bit before the All-Star break," Maggette said Tuesday.

Maggette and the team hope for the best but are braced for the worst. The latter scenario would mean the separation between the ligament and bone in his mid-foot has not healed sufficiently, which would require a screw to be inserted. That procedure would put Maggette out for the rest of the season.

The uncertainty is the main reason a trade collapsed that would have sent Maggette to Indiana for Ron Artest. The Pacers backed out, unwilling to commit if there were no assurance Maggette would return this season.

"The doctors are saying that surgery is still a possibility but we'll see," Maggette said. "I'm a prayerful dude and a faithful guy, and I'm going to leave it in God's hands."

Maggette, injured Dec.5, has missed the past 21 games. His activity has been limited to upper-body training, along with calf and hamstring exercises. But he has not been allowed to ride an exercise bike or do any weight-bearing cardiovascular work.

"It's been a month and a half since I've shot a basketball," he said. "I don't want to even practice free throws because I'd have to shoot them off balance, since I can't put any weight on my foot."