How the Trail Blazers Should Navigate the Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson Situation
With the Damian Lillard trade request soap opera still unresolved, it looks increasingly more likely that the Portland Trail Blazers will enter camp with their superstar still on the roster.
With Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe occupying the guard spots, what exactly is the plan with Scoot Henderson?
The answer to that is easy, even if the execution of it won't be.
Lillard isn't long for the franchise, regardless of whether or not he hangs around for another few months. He's made it painfully obvious that he wants to go elsewhere - specifically, Miami - which leaves the Blazers in what I believe is an advantageous position when it comes to turning the page.
As much as it'll hurt to see the end of the Lillard era in Portland end like this, sending him home, and handing over the keys to the starting point guard position to Henderson, is entirely justifiable.
From a PR perspective, it might not be a home run to send away the best player who's ever played for your franchise, but considering the alternatives, it's the right play.
For Henderson to get off to the right start in what should be a tremendous NBA career, removing as many distractions as humanly possible should be of the utmost importance. And make no mistake, Lillard has turned into a front-page distraction.
Furthermore, a less crowded backcourt also gives both Henderson and Sharpe much-needed breathing room to play, make mistakes, and not having to look over their shoulders for veterans ready to take their minutes.
This isn't to say Henderson should get 35 entitlement minutes per game, but if Portland wants to be serious about pivoting into a youth movement, dedicating themselves to going all-in on the player they hope is their next superstar will be crucial.
Sending Lillard home could come with some potential consequences, however. Teams that aren't the Miami Heat might hesitate to make strong offers for a player who is out sight, and somewhat out of mind. Most teams will understand that Lillard remains an elite talent, and appreciate the context of why he's been sent home, but that doesn't exactly improve his trade value. If anything, teams will argue that the Blazers should take less to get rid of a player they, accurately, consider a distraction.
As such, sending Lillard home will draw headlines, and will remain a frequent topic on ESPN. There's simply no way of avoiding that. For Henderson, though, it's easier to ignore the external chatter, especially if Lillard isn't around the team to act as a constant reminder, which theoretically should allow him to take a certain level of ownership of the team going into the season.
However the Blazers decide to play the Lillard situation, they have to understand what their set of priorities are. Henderson needs to come first at every single turn. If not, then it's fair to wonder if they're even to fully embrace the rebuild.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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