The Portland Trail Blazers have built themselves into a backcourt puzzle, and Scoot Henderson is right in the middle of it.
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn gave Portland’s offseason a “D” on a recent episode of the Third Apron Podcast with Yossi Gozlan, and one of the biggest reasons for that grade was simple: the Blazers’ former top-ten picks, Shaedon Sharpe and Henderson, suddenly look like afterthoughts in a crowded guard rotation.
That kind of setup tends to create noise, and Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale recently fed into it by listing both Blazers guards among players to watch in trade rumors this season. The logic lines up with what Quinn pointed out - if Portland keeps stacking guards, eventually the math gets ugly for somebody.
For now, the Blazers don’t appear eager to force the issue. Recent chatter about a potential Jrue Holiday buyout was shut down by NBA insider Marc Stein.
Still, the roster congestion isn’t going away on its own. At some point, Portland will have to make a call.
That decision could come in a few different forms. One path would involve moving one of Holiday or Morant to create room to renegotiate and extend Deni Avdija.
Another would be dealing Sharpe and/or Henderson. At the very least, it means listening if offers come in.
Quinn even put a specific landing spot in play for Henderson, naming the Boston Celtics as a team that should be interested.
"I would be trying to trade for Scoot Henderson," Quinn said." Like if I was a smart team like Boston, I'm staring daggers at you, like you've got this pick surplus.
Go get a young, talented guard. He fits the way that you want to play.
Go get him."
That kind of praise matters, because it underscores how Henderson’s value is being viewed around the league. He’s not just another name in a crowded room. He’s becoming a more attractive trade chip as he develops into a stronger two-way player.
Portland also has a timing problem. The Blazers already reached a four-year, $90 million extension with Sharpe last offseason.
Henderson, meanwhile, is now extension-eligible all the way up until the day before the season starts. If the two sides don’t get something done, he’d head toward restricted free agency.
That’s where the risk really kicks in. A team could decide Henderson’s ceiling is higher if he’s not buried on a depth chart, and that kind of belief can turn into an offer sheet Portland may not want to match. The Blazers can use the threat of that scenario in talks, but once restricted free agency arrives, all it takes is one aggressive bidder.
The upside of loading up on guards is obvious: it gives Portland options. Outside of Damian Lillard, who has a rare no-trade clause, just about anyone else can be discussed in the right deal. Henderson is part of that group, whether the Blazers want to think of him as a future piece or a trade asset.
And that’s where Portland is stuck now. The organization has to decide whether Scoot Henderson is part of the long-term plan, whether he’s better used as trade currency, or whether the safest move is to hold steady and keep waiting.
In Other News...
Blazers Arena Fight Just Put Portlands Long Term Plans In Doubt
Portlands long-discussed Moda Center overhaul moved back into the public eye this week, with the City Council holding a session on a proposed $600 million renovation plan. The discussion came with plenty of familiar arguments from both sides, as supporters pointed to the potential economic boost and labor work tied to the project while critics questioned whether the city and county should be lining up financial priorities around a publicly backed arena effort.
The next steps are still murky, even with local government bodies inching toward decisions of their own. Multnomah County commissioners are also expected to weigh in on a resolution tied to the projects financing commitment, but the Trail Blazers have not given much detail about what the renovation would actually include, leaving the scope of the plan and the teams posture toward it hanging over the process. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Suddenly Face A Ja Morant Question They Cant Ignore
Portlands front office is already deep into a balancing act, with Jrue Holiday and Ja Morant now sitting at the center of the conversation. The Blazers are evaluating what each would mean for the roster they are trying to build, and the question is not just about talent, but about fit, age, and how each player would complement a young core that still needs structure around it.
The financial side makes the issue even harder to ignore, especially with the need to create room for an extension for All-Star Deni Avdija. Holidays steadiness is easier to plug into a developing team, while Morant brings a different kind of ceiling and a different kind of decision. Portland does not seem likely to be able to keep both paths open for long, which is what makes this such a delicate call. [Read more 🡒]