Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge has a labral tear in his right hip requiring surgery and will sit out the rest of the season, the team announced Thursday. The surgery is an arthroscopic procedure and will be performed by Dr. Marc Phillipon at a later date. Aldridge is expected to be ready for training camp next season, but his chances of making the 2012 United States Olympic team are in jeopardy. “In his most recent MRI, and following further evaluation,
There are a lot of horror stories that can be told by former general managers and front office executives who spent time working for billionaire owner Paul Allen in the Portland Trail Blazers’ front office. John Nash refuses to speak about his time there. Rich Cho is too busy in Charlotte trying to be the next Sam Presti, and is too positive of a guy, to tell those stories publicly. Kevin Pritchard, Steve Patterson and Tom Penn have moved on with their lives,
Mehmet Okur will soon be on the open market as he was released Wednesday by the Portland Trail Blazers, who signed J.J. Hickson. Okur was acquired last week in the deal that sent Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets. He never took the court for Portland. Okur can be claimed on waivers, but the claiming team must honor his contract. If he clears waivers, he becomes a free agent. A 7-footer with 3-point range who can rebound a little, Okur would be
Veteran center Joel Przybilla, who was shut out of the abbreviated free agent market in December, re-signed Monday with the Portland Trail Blazers. Przybilla spent six-plus seasons with the Trail Blazers until being traded to Charlotte with other goodies at last year’s deadline for Gerald Wallace. He gives Portland depth at center, where the club is a tad long in the tooth. Portland’s starting center is 37-year-old Marcus Camby. His backup is 39-year-old power forward Kurt Thomas. At 32, Przybilla is a