5 Moves Blazers should make after drafting Scoot Henderson

The Portland Trail Blazers kept the third overall pick and drafted Scoot Henderson on Thursday night. There was plenty of talk about them trading the selection, but they would have regretted it. Scoot would have been the number-one pick in plenty of drafts, and he has superstar potential. The 19-year-old is mature and ready to get to work in the NBA.

It was an eventful night for the Blazers as they added Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert to give them three talented rookies to add depth to their roster. Portland was certainly one of the draft’s biggest winners, but what now?

Fans heard the rumblings about what is next for Damian Lillard, but what should the Blazers be focused on? The offseason is just beginning, and the front office must upgrade their roster. What should they do?

Moves Portland Trail Blazers should make after drafting Scoot Henderson

5. Upgrade at the 5

The Blazers cannot count on Jusuf Nurkic. He is under contract for the next three seasons and is set to make $54.4 million, but the 6’11 big man has only played in 153 games over the last four years combined. Nurkic has taken the court more than 65 times just twice in his nine NBA seasons. Portland has even tried limiting his minutes, but it has not helped in keeping him on the floor.

Drew Eubanks is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so Portland does not have a backup center on their roster. The Blazers have a clear need at the five and improving there is a goal for this offseason. Ideally, they can dump Nurkic’s contract and get a fresh start at the position, but that won’t be easy.

The Portland Trail Blazers need to find an upgrade at the five, but can they find the right move?