Scoot Henderson must prove the Blazers right this season

Henderson will have every opportunity to break out.
Portland Trail Blazers v Sacramento Kings
Portland Trail Blazers v Sacramento Kings | Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages

In 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers were forced to commit to a timeline. After hitting on the No. 7 overall pick in 2022 with the selection of Shaedon Sharpe, and with superstar Damian Lillard still on the roster, general manager Joe Cronin had to pick a lane.

Does he ship their No. 3 pick to get Lillard more win-now help, or does he stand pat and select whoever falls between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson? Of course, in retrospect, the correct answer is C) none of the above. It turns out Amen Thompson, who went to Houston at No. 4, was actually the right pick.

Regardless, the Blazers knew that by investing in Henderson, they'd also risk Lillard finally asking out -- something he arguably should've done a long time ago, as they failed to construct a contending roster around him. It's one thing to surround Lillard with a high-upside prospect, but the fact that the positional overlap made it clear he was Lillard's successor meant the writing was on the wall.

Portland was officially rebuilding around Sharpe and Henderson. Or so we thought.

Blazers finally prioritize Scoot Henderson with offseason moves

The issue, however, was that the Blazers didn't prioritize their recent top ten picks enough. They signed Jerami Grant to a head-scratching five-year, $160 million deal, making him a focal point of the roster. More concerningly, they had another Lillard-esque player in an emerging Anfernee Simons. As a result, Sharpe and Henderson weren't afforded the consistent, primary roles that typically allow top-ten picks on rebuilding teams to reach their ceilings. Just look at this past season, where a 36-win Blazers team rarely started either guard.

The silver lining is that Simons' expiring deal forced Cronin's hand. He finally came to the correct conclusion: the Blazers can only reach their ceiling as a contender with Henderson's two-way game leading the charge.

Of course, this was contradicted by their trade for veteran Jrue Holiday. But Holiday and Simons are completely different players. Holiday has a much lower usage rate and seems more willing to embrace a bench role should it come to that.

With how much Portland has invested in Henderson, he must capitalize on this increased role. Their ceiling as a team is directly tied to whether or not Scoot reaches his, especially considering the lack of star power currently on their roster.

There were encouraging signs from Henderson's improved second year as he improved his shooting, finishing, and overall decision-making. And if Chauncey Billups is right, the 2025-26 season will finally be the year Henderson validates the Blazers' decision to jumpstart their rebuild around him.