The Portland Trail Blazers suddenly have four point guards on their roster heading into the 2026-27 season following the stunning blockbuster trade of polarizing Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. That led many to wonder whether there would be a follow-up move in the works to better balance out the roster, particularly surrounding Jrue Holiday potentially being the next domino to fall.
However, the Blazers surprisingly intended to enter the season with this backcourt logjam, viewing it as a luxury rather than a problem that needs to be solved anytime soon.
Holiday deserves all the credit in the world for making that work due to his positional versatility as someone who plays far bigger than his 6-foot-4 frame suggests. It's a significant reason why the Blazers have conveyed to teams around the league that they still intend to hold onto him despite their trade for Morant.
But if Holiday remains in the mix, that does blur the picture for up-and-coming backcourt pieces Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
Scoot Henderson has become the Blazers guard worth keeping
From a positional standpoint, one would assume that would make Henderson the odd man out, especially considering how he's underwhelmed relative to expectations as a top pick in 2023. However, it's actually Sharpe who is the far worse fit for the Blazers going forward, due to concerns surrounding his defense, shooting, and work ethic.
Henderson may not be the franchise-altering prospect that was once viewed as a consolation prize to Victor Wembanyama. But at this point in his career, he's actually underrated as someone who has figured out how to make a two-way impact.
Defensively, you can tell he's benefited from Holiday's mentorship, making himself a good fit for the Blazers' established identity. Offensively, he may have fallen down the hierarchy as someone who needs to take on more of an off-ball role, but he's also embraced that as someone who's hovered around league average at 35 percent from beyond the arc the past two seasons.
Henderson was once viewed as the face of the Blazers' entire rebuild not too long ago, with the franchise picking his timeline over Damian Lillard's. While that was the right decision in the scheme of things, it wasn't due to Henderson meeting expectations.
Henderson is eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer, and it remains to be seen whether the Blazers will commit to him. However, they need to consider the fact that he finally fits this roster as someone who has redefined his role to fit what they need, becoming a 3-and-D guard.
Henderson may not have that star upside that Portland initially expected when taking him as a consolation prize to Wembanyama. But when you redefine expectations to evaluate how Henderson currently looks and contributes to this roster, you can tell he still has value as a two-way role player.
Add us as a preferred source on Google