We already rounded up the latest on the Trail Blazers today, but the afternoon brought a couple more updates out of Portland, so let's get to those, along with a pair of Nuggets links….
- LaMarcus Aldridge will undergo hip surgery and miss the rest of the season, the Blazers announced (via Twitter). The procedure puts Aldridge's Olympic availability in doubt, though he hopes to recover in time to compete for a spot on Team USA, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (Twitter link).
- J.J. Hickson would like to remain in Portland past this season, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The Blazers have yet to make a decision on Hickson, acting GM Chad Buchanan tells Haynes: "We still want to evaluate J.J. in these next seven games. We're excited to have him and he's playing some great ball for us. We have time before making a decision."
- Within a Nuggets mailbag, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post says it's definitely possible that Denver uses its amnesty clause on Chris Andersen next season.
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post thinks the Nuggets would be better served missing the playoffs and drafting in the lottery than qualifying for a likely first-round exit.