The Atlanta Hawks have moved on from former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher after just two seasons, sending him to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal involving the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It's rare to see a franchise cut ties so early on in a top prospect's development, considering he's just 21 years old. But as this trade has shown, it's not unheard of either. Could the Portland Trail Blazers follow a similar blueprint with Scoot Henderson, their No. 3 overall draft investment in 2023?
Could Scoot Henderson be the next high draft pick traded?
There are unfortunate similarities in terms of not meeting lofty draft expectations. If you redefine those expectations and look at Henderson strictly through the lens of where he is now and not how he's gotten here, you could still make a case for him to be considered part of this Blazers young core.
At just 22 years old with an exceptional work ethic, it's safe to say this is the worst Henderson will be. And despite Portland's crowded backcourt after acquiring Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies, Henderson surprisingly fits relatively well thanks to an emerging 3-and-D game allowing him to take on more of an off-ball role, as we saw flashes of last season.
But when Henderson was healthy, we also saw more of the same concerns -- inconsistency, turnovers, and inefficient shooting highlighted by an inability to finish at the rim. To his credit, he's cleaned up a lot of the decision-making problems, learning when to step on the brakes and letting the game come to him rather than constantly forcing the issue.
Henderson is on the outside looking in on the Blazers' building blocks
But is there anything we've seen from the past three seasons that makes Henderson a building block like Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara, and Deni Avdija?
And perhaps more importantly, has he provided Portland with a good enough reason not to trade him if the right deal were to come around?
Similar to Dallas with Risacher, there would inevitably be a team out there willing to bet on Henderson's untapped potential as someone just a few years removed from being a top pick. After all, this was supposed to be the consolation prize for Portland missing out on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes by just one lottery ping pong combination.
The narrative has drastically shifted to the point where Henderson may even be underrated. He's not the franchise-altering prospect Blazers fans hoped, but he's also not quite a bust. Still, with the Blazers bringing back Damian Lillard and now adding Morant into the equation, you have to think Henderson is now more expendable.
There are similarities between the Hawks and Blazers, as both are looking for upgrades to make a deeper playoff run next season. If Portland can find its version of a more established player like Lu Dort, Henderson could potentially be the next steep draft investment on the move.
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