San Antonio Spurs big man Zach Collins is expected to make his return to playing sometime after Christmas, according to head coach Gregg Popovich. Collins has been rehabbing from a re-fracture of his left foot.

The Spurs signed Collins to a three-year, $22 million contract, despite the fact that the Gonzaga product missed the entirety of the 2020-21 season. Only $10.6 million of Collins' deal is guaranteed. This gives San Antonio some protection if Collins can't get and stay healthy.

When healthy in his first two seasons, the forward/center showed promise as a scorer and shooter. He's also a solid rebounder. In his third season, in 2019-20, Collins suffered a shoulder injury which cost him all but 11 games. Then he suffered the leg fracture that caused him to miss all of last season.