Trail Blazers general manager Rich Cho says big changes are on the way for his team.

"I'd say the chances are pretty good," Cho said of making a deal prior to the Feb. 24 trade deadline. "We are being pretty active, put it that way."

When Cho has hired last summer, he declared Portland "one or two pieces" away from contending for an NBA title.

Thanks to injuries and inconsistency, the Blazers are 25-22 and clinging to the Western Conference's final playoff spot.

"This team is an average to a little-above average team, and our record reflects that," the GM said. "And there's not going to be any quick fix to make it into a championship team. This is going to be a process."

Nicolas Batum is day-to-day with a bone bruise after an MRI on his injured left knee came back clear.

Batum hurt his knee in the second quarter of Thursday night's 88-78 loss to the Celtics.

He is averaging 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds this season.

The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned rookie guard Armon Johnson to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Rich Cho.

Johnson, 21, is averaging 3.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 8.1 minutes in 28 games this season with the Trail Blazers.

Nicolas Batum will undergo an MRI on his sore left knee on Friday. Batum felt a "stretch" in his knee and was on crutches after the game.

Batum does not expect to need surgery.

Portland has had knee injuries to Greg Oden, Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby this season.

The Knicks have surpassed the Lakers as the NBA's most valuable franchise, according to findings from Forbes.

New York is valued at $655 million, while the Lakers are close behind at $643 million.

The Bulls, Celtics and Rockets comprise the remainder of the top-five.

In the wake of LeBron James leaving in free agency, the Cavaliers had a single-year decrease of 26%.

Full Rankings
1. Knicks
2. Lakers
3. Bulls
4. Celtics
5. Rockets
6. Mavericks
7. Heat
8. Suns
9. Spurs
10. Raptors
11. Magic
12. Warriors
13. Pistons
14. Blazers
15. Cavaliers
16. Jazz
17. 76ers
18. Thunder
19. Wizards
20. Nuggets
21. Nets
22. Clippers
23. Hawks
24. Kings
25. Bobcats
26. Hornets
27. Pacers
28. Grizzlies
29. Timberwolves
30. Bucks

Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge underwent an MRI on his right hip that showed no damage.

Aldridge had the MRI on Tuesday, a day after Portland's loss to Sacramento.

He has a hip contusion and is probable for Thursday night's game against the Celtics.

Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge underwent X-Rays for a sore right hip after Monday's loss to the Kings.

The team should find out the results of the tests on Tuesday.

Aldridge had surgery on his left hip in 2005 as a freshman at Texas, but the soreness he's experiencing is in his right hip.

He has downplayed the injury.

The Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard and the Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge Monday were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Jan. 17 through Jan. 23.

Howard led Orlando to 3-1 record on the week, averaging 26 points to go along with 13.3 rebounds (tied for third in the league and second in the East) and 1.3 blocks.

He recorded three games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, giving him 20-10 in 23 games on the season. 

Aldridge ranked fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 28.3 points to go along with 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed center Chris Johnson of the NBA Development League's Dakota Wizards to a 10-day contract, it was announced Monday by general manager Rich Cho.

The NBA granted Portland a hardship exception, allowing the team to sign Johnson and expand its roster to 16 players. He is the fourth call-up of the 2010-11 NBA Development League season.

Johnson, 25, is averaging 17.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 3.07 blocked shots in 27 games with Dakota this season.

The Trail Blazers plan to call up Chris Johnson from the NBA's D-League, according to a source.

Portland will be without Marcus Camby for the next few weeks due to a partially torn meniscus in his knee.

Johnson is currently averaging 17.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in just over 33 minutes per game for Dakota.

It would be the fourth D-League call up of the season.