Negotiations between the Blazers and LaMarcus Aldridge are "moving toward a deal," according to general manager Kevin Pritchard.

After negotiating since July 1, Pritchard said talks with Aldridge's agent, Arn Tellem, took a decided turn for the better this week.

"There has been movement," Pritchard said. "But I don't want to get the cart before the horse because I want to do this right. I want to make sure we are staying on the right path. But I feel like we are moving toward a deal. Now that doesn't mean we are going to get a deal done. Negotiations ebb and flow all the time, so I want to be cautious with that. But I'm optimistic, I really am."

In September, Pritchard said he and Aldridge's agent were having "amicable" but "complicated" talks because the two sides agreed on the value of Aldridge but were unable to put a finger on an amount because it was based on the league's salary cap, which isn't released until July.

"We want to send a message of how important he is," Pritchard said. "We want to take care of the kid. I think that's the biggest thing. We like to take care of the people who take care of the organization, and LaMarcus has done that. He has done everything we have asked of him on the court and everything we have asked off the court."