The Portland Trail Blazers envisioned Scoot Henderson to be their long-term starting point guard when they invested in the G League Ignite product with a coveted No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Three seasons later, they still don't know whether or not that's truly the case.
An untimely hamstring injury has played a significant role in that, as Henderson has yet to play a game this season. Meanwhile, his window to earn the keys to Portland's backcourt appears to be closing.
Blazers are running out of time to decide if Scoot Henderson is their point guard of the future
Henderson is just 21 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. However, this has more to do with the Blazers' backcourt situation changing around him.
Jrue Holiday is finally back from his calf strain and appears to have plenty of gas left in the tank at 35 years old, which is refreshing considering he could be on the books through his player option in 2027-28.
Blake Wesley was quietly carving out a role himself prior to a right foot fracture, proving to be a perfect fit for the Blazers' defensive identity.
Damian Lillard should add another layer of complexity to Portland's backcourt situation with his anticipated return at the start of next season.
Other players have also stepped up in increased roles during the Blazers' injury crisis. Two-way signing Caleb Love is making a case to earn a standard contract, particularly with his recent hot stretch.
Most significantly, Deni Avdija took on a point forward role, keeping the Blazers afloat without a traditional point guard. Avdija is averaging 14.3 potential assists this season, ranking in the top ten in the entire association.
All of this to say, the Blazers suddenly don't need Henderson to pan out as much as they previously did. That's great that other players have helped fill the void, but does that also make their former No. 3 overall pick more expendable?
Portland could gain more clarity on that in the coming weeks. 12 days ago, the Blazers finally provided an update on Henderson, noting that he'd be re-evaluated in two weeks. Hopefully, he's able to return to play shortly after. Not just because of the added bonus in the backcourt, but also because the Blazers would ideally like to have more information to drive their decision-making leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Ultimately, that still may not be enough time for the Blazers to feel comfortable about making such a franchise-altering decision. But it's a pressing question they need to be asking themselves nonetheless.
Eventually, the Blazers will have to add more star power to make a deep playoff run. Portland's building blocks have taken significant strides this season, and Henderson's injury has left him on the outside looking in of their young core. If they have to sacrifice a young asset to land a star, he suddenly looks to be the most expendable.
We'll see if he can gain ground when he comes back from this injury, hopefully sooner rather than later.