The Portland Trail Blazers have been without the majority of their backcourt in 2025-26. These injuries began when Scoot Henderson suffered a hamstring tear during an offseason workout. Not only was the injury unfortunate, but it was also untimely.
With Anfernee Simons now in Boston and Damian Lillard set to miss the entire season, this was a golden opportunity for Scoot to take the keys to the backcourt. Jrue Holiday was in the equation, but his age (35) and positional versatility suggested that he could fit alongside Henderson should the Blazers' young guard improve off what was an overall promising second season.
Now, Henderson's place with this team isn't as clear.
Blazers may eventually have to trade Scoot Henderson
The Blazers have played surprisingly well in his absence. They've struggled in key areas like playmaking and shooting that Scoot would help address, but they still remain in the Western Conference playoff conversation. That's mainly because the rest of their young core has taken a collective leap.
Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, and Shaedon Sharpe have found a working formula. Avdija as the primary offensive initiator, Camara as the 3-and-D complementary piece, Clingan as the defense anchor, and Sharpe as the secondary creator to help take some of the offensive burden off of Avdija. But where does that leave Scoot?
The Blazers' long-term point guard situation remains uncertain, with both Holiday and Lillard nearing the end of their respective careers. But Avdija has been at his best in a point-forward role, where he frequently has the ball in his hands. The league is trending toward these jumbo guards who are matchup nightmares for opposing teams, and it just so happens that Portland now has one of the best in the business.
That has to make Henderson more expendable should the Blazers include a young asset in a package for a star, whether that's at the Feb. 5 trade deadline or in the offseason. They have the assets to go star hunting, and the leap their young core has taken this season could make Portland more inclined to make an aggressive move to accelerate their rebuilding timeline.
It's a risky proposition betting against Henderson, as there's a reason he was the No. 3 overall pick in 2023. While he hasn't lived up to those lofty expectations, he's trending in the right direction, which is all you can ask for from a 21-year-old playing the most challenging position.
But the Blazers just haven't had the opportunity to evaluate how he fits in this young core. And with these other players having breakout seasons and already establishing themselves as genuine building blocks who fit together, it suddenly makes Henderson the odd man out.