Scoot Henderson Has Blazers Fans Dreaming of Damian Lillard Pairing After NBA Draft

Trail Blazers fans have a new reason to hope Damian Lillard stays in Portland.

The Blazers kept their No. 3 pick Thursday night in order to select G League star Scoot Henderson in the 2023 NBA draft.

After 11 seasons and no deep playoff runs with Portland, Lillard said in April that he wants the team to add veterans instead of youth. Despite that, Blazers fans are hoping they will get to see Lillard and 19-year-old Henderson play together next season.

Anfernee Simons has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but the acquisition of another star guard has Portland fans dreaming of what the team's guard depth could look like if the Blazers are done making moves.

Henderson was a five-star recruit out of the 2021 high school class after a record-breaking career for Carlton J. Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia.

He passed up on his senior year of high school and turned down offers from Georgia and Auburn to join the NBA G League Ignite, where he established himself as a consensus top-three pick in the 2023 draft by averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists through 19 games last season.

Despite the hype surrounding his arrival in the NBA, his turnover rate and shooting inconsistencies have indicated he might need time to develop. Some basketball fans are already imagining how Lillard, who has two years remaining on his contract wants to win now, will feel about that.

Henderson said Wednesday he can complement Lillard's game "in many ways." If these Blazers fans get their way, he will get the chance to prove that next season.