Scoot Henderson Trade Seems Inevitable for the Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson is entering the final year of his contract, as he will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027.

Henderson came to Portland in 2023 as the No. 3 overall pick, hoping to be the franchise's future at the point guard position. The Blazers had traded Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, clearing the way for him to take over as the leader for Portland moving forward. Unfortunately, things have not shaken out that way, as injuries have limited him throughout his career. He now finds himself buried in a point guard depth chart, fighting for minutes.

"In his last season before reaching restricted free agency -- barring an unexpected extension before then -- Henderson is still something of a mystery for Portland. The former No. 3 pick transitioned from point guard to more of an off-ball role last season; in five playoff games, for instance, he tallied only six total assists but made 13 3-pointers," ESPN analyst Zach Kram wrote.

"Now, Henderson must find his place in an extremely crowded backcourt, with Lillard and Morant joining the fold. There will be only so many shots and on-ball opportunities to go around."

Why Blazers Should Trade Scoot Henderson

Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson warms up before game four of the first round. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Henderson will enter restricted free agency next offseason, which means that Portland will be able to match any offer he is given during free agency. That being said, it doesn't make a lot of sense for the Blazers to sign Henderson to a long-term deal, knowing that Ja Morant is still on the roster and he will soon need to be paid.

Out of his point guard teammates, Morant is the likeliest to take his job moving forward. Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday are not long-term options for the Blazers, so he is really just competing against Morant for the role of point guard of the future.

Henderson is only 22 years old and has a lot going for him in his game. He averaged 14.2 points per contest in 30 appearances last season for the Blazers after recovering from an ankle injury early on in the year.

The Blazers trade for Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies suggests that there is not a ton of confidence in Henderson moving forward. He will get a chance to compete for minutes in a role and a new contract, but Morant will be given more opportunities, which will see a dip in Henderson's usage rate.

Considering he only averaged 3.7 assists per game last season, Henderson's point guard tendencies have taken a bit of a dip. This year isn't expected to bring out that part of his game, with Morant, Lillard, and Holiday also fulfilling those obligations.

It might make sense to trade him to a team like the Brooklyn Nets, who have minutes to allocate for a player like Henderson ($13.5 million) that can get his teammates set up in the offense. If they were to trade him to Brooklyn for veteran guard Terance Mann ($15.5 million), Portland would get a little bit more balance in their backcourt and officially tab Morant as the point guard they want to invest in moving forward.

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