December 15 marks the unofficial start of trade season in the NBA. Players who signed their offseason deals are now eligible to be traded, giving teams nearly a two-month window to reshape their rosters prior to the February 5 trade deadline.
The Portland Trail Blazers sat out last year's trade deadline but are viewed as buyers this year, looking to add a piece to improve on an underwhelming 10-16 start and end a four-year playoff drought. With general weaknesses such as shooting, defense, and star power, Portland could decide to take its roster in several different directions.
It's much easier to pinpoint who they should trade for than who they should trade away. They could make a relatively minor move by shopping the expiring contract of Robert Williams III or Matisse Thybulle to add more reliable defense or shooting. But if they want to swing for the fences to add star power, it's going to cost them a promising young asset.
The Blazers shouldn't trade Scoot Henderson
Former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson is the name that most frequently gets brought up. It makes sense. The Blazers' primary building blocks lie in the frontcourt, and it's almost impossible to trade away Shaedon Sharpe after the scoring tear he's been on, showing flashes of being able to reach that star ceiling.
Henderson was expected to have a similar star ceiling heading into the draft, but hasn't quite lived up to the hype. He had a historically bad rookie season that included horrific plus-minus numbers, leaving many to wonder if he had what it took to impact winning at a high level. To Henderson's credit, he's shed those premature bust labels with a drastically improved second season. He was actually starting to look the part of a winning player, improving his defense, efficiency, and overall decision-making.
While we don't know if Henderson will ever live up to those lofty expectations in a draft where he was viewed to be the consolation prize to Victor Wembanyama, it's at least worth it for Portland to see what they have on their hands. After all, Henderson is just 21 years old, playing the most challenging position in the league. There have been numerous examples of point guards taking longer to adjust, and that's why the Blazers need to stress patience with Henderson this trade season.
Landing aging stars Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard (again) should only make Portland feel more comfortable holding onto their Scoot stock. It gives them some breathing room in terms of not having to immediately decide whether Henderson is truly their starting point guard of the future. Holiday, when healthy, has proven capable of serving as the starting point and appears to have a few solid years left in the tank at 35. That's an ideal situation as it gives Henderson more time to develop and Portland more time to evaluate.
If a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster is on the table, then by all means include Scoot. But there's no need to actively shop him this trade season. He was showing promise prior to the untimely injury, and given their rebuilding timeline, it makes perfect sense for the Blazers to see how this all plays out.