The Portland Trail Blazers may have a path to clean up one old mistake and solve a fresh roster problem at the same time.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who won Most Improved Player of the Year after a strong season with the Atlanta Hawks, is the kind of guard Portland probably should have held onto longer. Instead, the Blazers moved on too early. Now, there’s a case for GM Joe Cronin to circle back and try to get him, even if that means putting Scoot Henderson into the deal.
The money works on a straight player swap, with Alexander-Walker set to make $14.4 million this season. But because he’s outplaying Henderson, Portland would likely need to attach draft capital to get Atlanta to listen.
That idea lands at an interesting moment for the Blazers. With major backcourt injuries to Ja Morant, Shaedon Sharpe, and now Vit Krejci, Portland has seen exactly why it still needs guards. Henderson is part of that picture, but he hasn’t taken over the starting role the way the team hoped while filling in for Morant.
Alexander-Walker would give Portland a different kind of answer. He brings the length and versatility Cronin likes, and at 6-foot-5, he fits the team’s defensive identity as a point-of-attack defender.
He also checks boxes the Blazers need more urgently right now: shooting, playmaking, and shot creation. Henderson has struggled in those areas to open the season.
There’s also a bigger roster issue hanging over all of this. Portland did not reach a rookie-scale extension with Henderson before the season, which leaves the Blazers staring at a restricted free agency decision they may not want to make. Trading him now could let them get value back instead of being forced into a painful choice between giving up on a former No. 3 overall pick or paying a player who still hasn’t fully emerged as a building block.
Alexander-Walker’s contract adds to the appeal. He’s under team control through 2028-29 with a player option, which fits Cronin’s preference for players who are already locked in for multiple seasons.
Still, this is not a simple one-way proposition. Portland’s need at point guard has eased after taking Houston guard Kingston Flemings in the draft, and that makes Henderson a more movable piece than he might have been earlier.
At the same time, the Hawks could view him as a useful return if they want to pivot their roster. Henderson is still just 22, still has the pedigree of a No. 3 overall pick, and has shown more willingness to play off the ball this season.
That could make him a better long-term fit alongside Flemings if Atlanta wants to reshape its backcourt. At minimum, he’d be a solid bench guard.
A move closer to home might even help him settle in.
For Portland, the clock is ticking on Henderson in more than one way. The Feb. trade deadline is approaching, and the restricted free agency issue is right behind it. The Blazers are also in a different place now, with a win-now mindset and a push for a first-round playoff win in the Western Conference.
Henderson still has time to grow into a more complete guard. But the Blazers’ timeline is moving faster than his development. A trade built around Alexander-Walker and draft picks would address more than one problem at once, if Atlanta is willing to look past Henderson’s rough start and see the upside in a player whose contract is set to expire.
In Other News...
Scoot Henderson Questions Are Growing As Blazers Old Problems Return
The Trail Blazers first road loss of the season in Los Angeles did more than snap a perfect start away from home. It also brought back a familiar set of problems that have shadowed Portland since last season, especially the kind of sloppiness with the ball and on the glass that can undo otherwise competitive nights.
Scoot Henderson sits at the center of some of the bigger questions now, because his play has not matched the expectations that followed him into this season. Portland has shown signs of improvement in a few areas, but the recurring issues around ball security and defensive rebounding, along with Hendersons uneven production, are making the rotation picture feel less settled than the Blazers would like. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Loss To Lakers Exposed What Theyre Missing Without Ja Morant
The Trail Blazers 124-118 loss to the Lakers was a reminder that even a strong start can look a lot shakier when the offense gets loose. Portland coughed the ball up 24 times, double Los Angeles total, and the game exposed how much the Blazers lean on Ja Morant to steady the group and keep the attack organized.
Morant has been out with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and is expected to miss most or all of November, leaving Portland to patch together its playmaking in the meantime. Even with the defeat, the Blazers are still 6-2, a start that suggests they can survive the early stretch, but this one showed how much better they should look once Morant is back directing the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Henderson Just Made Portlands Backcourt Problem Harder To Ignore
The NBA Cup loss to the Lakers only sharpened a problem the Trail Blazers have been circling for a while. Portlands offense never found much rhythm, and turnovers again played a major role in the defeat, leaving the backcourt under a brighter spotlight than usual. With key players sidelined, the Blazers need cleaner possession management and steadier creation just to keep the offense from stalling out.
Scoot Hendersons night summed up the concern. In 23 minutes, he finished with two points, two rebounds and five turnovers, a rough playmaking line for a team that is already searching for consistency in the backcourt. Portland can live with growing pains, but the margin gets thin when the ball security issues keep piling up and the offense has so little room to breathe. [Read more 🡒]