The Portland Trail Blazers haven't prioritized Scoot Henderson this offseason. Not just in terms of the extension that he's still currently eligible for up until the start of the season, but also within their offensive hierarchy.
Portland's surprising trade for Memphis Grizzlies' polarizing star Ja Morant made their feelings on Henderson clear. They don't view him as the long-term starting point guard of this team, as evidenced by their moves to push him further down the depth chart this offseason.
With four point guards now on the Blazers roster, it could be in Henderson's best interest to ultimately request a trade to somewhere he'd be more valued. If it were up to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, Henderson would already be in pursuit of that change of scenery.
"If I were Scoot's representative, I'd be trying to get him out of there at this point," Vecenie said on the Game Theory Podcast. "They just clearly have invested in lead guards ahead of you. I get it that you don't want to be a nuisance or anything like that, but I don't see where the future is for him in Portland now."
The Blazers aren't valuing Scoot Henderson properly
The Blazers may not even know who their solution is at the position, but bringing in Morant proves they know it's not Henderson. From that standpoint, they might as well bring in Morant to see if he fits the bill, given the incredibly low acquisition cost.
This trade decision hurt Henderson's growth, which means either the Blazers are mismanaging their youth development or they no longer consider him part of that young core worth investing in. The way Portland has successfully prioritized the up-and-coming pieces of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan, however, suggests that it's more the latter in Henderson's case.
Portland doesn't seem to have a true building block at the position, giving Morant the next at-bat to earn the keys going forward. For the Blazers, that makes it difficult to justify giving Henderson an extension to start the season when his future with this team appears more uncertain than ever.
Now, it's Henderson's time to gain the leverage by heading to a place where he's properly valued. He's quietly gotten better each season since joining Portland, and the reward for that has somehow been a diminished role at age 22?
This is a case where Henderson could benefit from a change of scenery and redefine his career as a key contributor elsewhere.
One potential issue with choosing his own fate is restricted free agency, which gives Portland leverage if they want to retain him next offseason. But seeing as the Blazers have only pushed him further down the depth chart, one would assume that makes Henderson increasingly expendable in their eyes.
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