The deadline for rookie-scale extensions passed on Monday, with the Portland Trail Blazers electing not to extend former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson. That means he's set to hit restricted free agency, as Portland can still make a qualifying offer to reserve the right to match any offer.
Though general manager Joe Cronin previously referred to Henderson as a "high-priority" player at Media Day, it's fair to question the validity of that statement. The Blazers willingly pushed Henderson further down the depth chart when they took a chance on Ja Morant, and that future looks even murkier now that they officially haven't decided to extend him.
It's not like Portland had to drastically empty out its pockets to lock up Henderson long-term, seeing as ESPN's Bobby Marks estimated a three-year, $51.8 million extension figure. That should give teams a ballpark for what it would take to put legitimate pressure on Cronin and the Blazers.
Brooklyn Nets
Of course, it's a matter of cap space to see which teams are capable of potentially stealing Scoot away from Portland. That immediately makes the Brooklyn Nets a threat. They're projected to lead the league in cap space at a substantial $79.5 million.
The backcourt is admittedly crowded after Brooklyn invested consecutive top-ten picks in Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. They have even more young guards than that, including Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf.
Still, the fact that Brooklyn felt the need to add all these guards proves that they are desperate to find a long-term solution. The more guards they add into the mix, the more at-bats they have to hit that home run.
Henderson, a former No. 3 overall pick who's just 22 years old, fits that criteria perfectly. So well, to the point that the Blazers should be legitimately concerned about the threat if it's actually their plan to retain Henderson long term.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are projected to have the second most cap space behind the Nets, according to Spotrac's Keith Smith.
Chicago is in a somewhat similar position to Brooklyn. Two rebuilding teams in the Eastern Conference that continue to add a plethora of guards to their roster in hopes that something sticks. It's genuinely difficult to keep up with what guards are on Chicago's roster these days.
They do have a more solidified backcourt piece than Brooklyn thanks to their trade for Josh Giddey. However, Henderson is actually a better fit alongside Giddey than some may think due to his evolving two-way game.
He hasn't been that primary playmaker in Portland, failing to live up to lofty draft expectations as a No. 3 overall pick that some at one point even viewed as a consolation prize for missing out on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. But to his credit, he's done an underrated job of redefining his role and finding a way to impact winning by surprisingly turning into more of a 3-and-D guard.
Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter saw that firsthand last season. He also saw the upside Henderson still possesses, particularly during the first half of his up-and-down playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.
When looking at potential landing spots for Henderson, the two biggest factors are fit and cap space. Chicago checks both boxes as well as any team in the league.
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