What The Damian Lillard Trade Means For Scoot Henderson

After months of speculation, the Portland Trail Blazers finally traded Damian Lillard this Wednesday. The legendary point guard will continue to light up the scoreboard in Milwaukee, where he forms a dangerous duo 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. In return, Portland received Jrue Holiday and draft capital from the Bucks as well as DeAndre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns.

While the Milwaukee Bucks garner most of the discussion surrounding this transaction, there is more to be made of Portland’s situation. Not only their revamped roster with Holiday and Ayton, but also Scoot Henderson’s new situation without Lillard.

The Blazers selected Henderson with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft this past June. He comes out of the G League Ignite program, in which he averaged 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game last regular season. The 6-foot-2 point guard is commonly regarded as one of the most athletic prospects in recent memory, and his immense potential as a slasher makes him a can’t-miss prospect.

With Portland’s all-time leading scorer now out of the picture, their newest rookie takes the reigns of the squad’s offense. He will now absorb the majority of the teams’ on-ball volume as he runs the pick-and-rolls Lillard operated for so many years.

Additionally, Henderson’s developmental context has improved with the addition of Ayton. He now has a more dynamic roll man to get reps in with. The former Suns big man also fits the timeline of Henderson’s development better than Jusuf Nurkic.

Henderson’s control of the offense will surely look a bit different than Lillard’s. The 19-year-old uses his blazing speed, explosive power, and mid-range touch to create offense as opposed to Lillard’s approach as an all-time great perimeter shot-maker. Some of the logo 3s Portland fans have been accustomed to will be replaced with highlight reel dunks.

Most importantly, Henderson likely finds himself in a better situation now separated from Lillard. He has more freedom to experiment as an on-ball creator and work towards his ceiling-level outcomes.

It’s clear that after the departure of their franchise’s star for the last decade, the Portland Trail Blazers already have a replacement to step into his shoes in Henderson.

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