The 2023 draft keeps circling back to the same uncomfortable truth for Portland: Scoot Henderson was not the best answer at No. 3.
That was the night the Trail Blazers chose to stay put instead of moving the pick for a veteran who could match Damian Lillard’s timeline. Portland then used the selection on Henderson, a point guard viewed as Lillard’s possible successor. Just over a week later, on July 1, Lillard asked for a trade.
Since then, Henderson has not matched the kind of expectations that came with being a top-three pick, whether that was as Lillard’s heir, the consolation prize after Victor Wembanyama, or the centerpiece of Portland’s rebuild. Even so, the Blazers have kept moving forward. GM Joe Cronin’s trades - including the Lillard deal - have helped produce pieces like Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija, giving the rebuild real structure.
Henderson has also found a more realistic lane. He’s improved in 3-and-D areas and has become a complementary piece for a young roster that now has more bodies than openings in the backcourt. That doesn’t erase the draft decision, but it does explain why he still has value in Portland.
The latest reminder came from The Hoop Collective, where Brian Windhorst, Tim MacMahon, and Vince Goodwill redrafted the 2023 lottery. Henderson stayed in the top 10, but not nearly as high as Portland originally took him.
Their lottery redo looked like this:
No. 1: Spurs draft Victor Wembanyama
No. 2: Hornets draft Amen Thompson
No. 3: Trail Blazers draft Brandon Miller
No. 4: Rockets draft Cason Wallace
No. 5: Pistons draft Ausar Thompson
No. 6: Magic draft Keyonte George
No. 7: Pacers draft Dereck Lively II
No. 8: Wizards draft Toumani Camara
No. 9: Jazz draft Scoot Henderson
No. 10: Mavericks draft Anthony Black
No. 11: Magic draft Jaime Jaquez Jr.
No. 12: Thunder draft Brandin Podziemski
No. 13: Raptors draft Brice Sensabaugh
No. 14: Pelicans draft Bilal Coulibaly
Camara’s presence in the top 10 is a striking jump for the former No. 52 overall pick, and it only adds another layer to how the class has evolved.
For Portland, the biggest takeaway is simple: Brandon Miller now looks like the right choice at No. 3.
That was a real debate at the time, with Miller and Henderson both seen in the second tier behind Wembanyama. Miller’s perimeter-heavy game would have fit cleanly in Portland.
The Thompson twins would have made sense too, especially if the Blazers were serious about building a defensive identity. Looking back, Portland probably should have weighed those options instead of narrowing the choice to whoever was left between Miller and Henderson.
For now, Henderson is still part of the picture.
In Other News...
Scoot Henderson Suddenly Has Everything To Prove In Portland
Scoot Henderson enters this season with the kind of urgency that follows a young guard when the runway gets shorter. After missing a significant stretch last year with a hamstring injury, he finished the season on a better note, and now he is back in Portland at a time when the backcourt picture has changed sharply around him. The Blazers have added more competition for minutes and touches, so Hendersons role no longer feels assured in the way it once did.
For Portland, this is about more than just one season of development. Henderson is in the final year of his rookie contract, which puts the organization in a spot where an extension could be on the table before opening night, while a slower start could send the conversation deeper into the future. Either way, his performance this year will shape how the Blazers view him, and how firmly he fits into the teams long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]