Blazers' Scoot Henderson Says He Wants Damian Lillard to Stay amid Trade Rumors
Scoot Henderson is hopeful he will get the opportunity to play alongside Damian Lillard after the Portland Trail Blazers selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday.
During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Henderson expressed his desire to share the backcourt with Lillard in Portland:
"I think he should stay," he said. "I think it'd be great playing alongside a guy like Dame. You'd learn so much, especially just how he came into the game so confident, you know, fearless. I think I'm gonna take that same approach."
Lillard has been the subject of trade rumors and speculation for some time, although he has publicly suggested his preference is to stay in Portland and win a championship there.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Real GM), it is up to Lillard whether he wants to stay in Portland or get traded, noting that the Blazers will likely accommodate a trade request if he makes one.
During an appearance on Showtime Sports' Last Stand podcast (h/t Stephen Beslic of Basketball Network) earlier this month, Lillard said he felt the Blazers had "an opportunity, asset-wise, to build a team that can compete."
He went on to say, "If we can't do that … then it's a separate conversation we would have to have."
That left observers to wonder if Lillard was essentially laying down an ultimatum for the Blazers to make a big move on the trade market or in free agency this offseason.
It can be argued that Portland's most desirable asset was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, but rather than trading it, the Blazers used the pick to take Henderson.
While the Charlotte Hornets took Alabama forward Brandon Miller second overall, Henderson was considered the second-best prospect in the draft in many circles, behind only center Victor Wembanyama, who went first overall to the San Antonio Spurs.
During his one season in the G League with the Ignite team, the 19-year-old Henderson averaged 16.5 points, 6.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, which suggests he is NBA ready.
Still, it could take Henderson some time to get acclimated to the NBA, and time is of the essence for Lillard.
The seven-time All-Star, who will be 33 when the 2023-24 season starts, badly wants a championship, and the Blazers are nowhere close to contending for one after going 33-49 last season.
Perhaps Portland could have moved closer to contention by moving the pick in a trade for another All-Star-caliber player, but the Blazers were either unwilling or unable to do so.
If that causes Lillard to ask for a trade, the Blazers can at least take solace in knowing that they have a supremely talented, young guard in Henderson to build around.
