(Portland, OR)  --  Trail Blazers big man and free agent to be LaMarcus Aldridge is on the road to recovery following successful thumb surgery.  He tore a ligament in his left thumb in January and opted to play through it the rest of the season.  Aldridge still managed to score a career-high 23.4 points in 71 games this season for the Blazers.  The 29-year-old is set to hit the free agent market this offseason.  The Chicago Bulls selected Aldridge second overall in the 2006 NBA Draft, but he has played all nine NBA seasons with Portland following a draft day trade.