Big changes on the way, GM Rich Cho says

Get a look at your Trail Blazers while you can.

General manager Rich Cho says the roster is more than likely going to change at, or before, the NBA's Feb. 24 trading deadline.

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

That Cho is poised to make a deal is not surprising. The types of deals he is contemplating, however, are not what he, nor anyone else could have expected six months ago when he was hired as a relatively unknown NBA executive.

It was a July day full of smiles when Cho proclaimed the Blazers "one or two pieces" away from contending for an NBA title. And nobody disagreed.

But since that day, the franchise has threatened to fall to pieces. There have been seven knee surgeries, three disappointing draft picks and a slew of missed shots on the court.

The days of proclaiming this franchise "one or two pieces away" have faded. In it's place is this matter-of-fact assessment from Cho:

"This team is an average to a little-above average team, and our record reflects that," Cho 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."

Cho waited until the Blazers had played about half of their games before deciding what his long term plan is for the franchise. He said that plan may become clear to fans after the trade deadline, but added that "winning is still important."

"But I think you have to think short term and long term," Cho said. "We are not going to sacrifice a long-term goal for a short-term benefit."

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Now that New Orleans (30-16) has emerged as a very good team, and the Blazers look painfully thin at point guard, Cho is borderline defensive about the trade. Without prompting, Cho said the pick needs time to be used, either with a selection or in a trade.

"I will be the first one to admit that I thought the New Orleans pick would be a higher pick. I will be the first to admit that," Cho said. "But at the same time, I don't think you can say that is going to be a worthless pick, because if you look at two of the guys who are critical components of this team -- Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum -- they were undrafted and the 25th pick."

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Cho says he can satisfy those needs now in a trade, but it would dismantle what he sees as the team's emerging core: LaMarcus Aldridge, Batum and Matthews.

"If we wanted to make a trade to help the team right now, we could," Cho said. "But we would have to give up a guy like Nic, who is a big part of our future. We don't want to do that. And we could go out and get a young point guard, but it would cost L.A., and we're not going to do that."