Scoot Henderson 'Ready to Embrace' Blazers Role After Damian Lillard Trade Request

Damian Lillard's reported trade request on Saturday not only has the potential to shake up the NBA's title race for the 2023-24 season, but it also dramatically alters the future of the Portland Trail Blazers organization.

And Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 overall pick this past June, is ready to help usher in the new era.

"I'm ready to embrace that," he told reporters Saturday when asked about the possibility of being the face of the franchise in a post-Dame world.

As for missing out on the chance to play with Lillard, Henderson would have been down for the opportunity.

"I'd love to play with him," he said. "We have a great relationship. But whatever happens, happens."

Once the Blazers weren't able to flip the No. 3 overall pick for a veteran star in a trade, it always seemed likely that Dame's time in Portland might be coming to an end. Even with the team re-signing Jerami Grant to a massive five-year, $160 million deal, the rest of the core pieces around Dame—Henderson (19), Shaedon Sharpe (20 and Anfernee Simons (24)—are young and developing players.

The silver lining for the Blazers is that trading Lillard gives the Blazers the chance to add either young players or draft assets to build for the future, while giving Henderson, Sharpe and Simons the chance to grow and develop in bigger roles.

The Blazers sound resigned to that fact after Saturday's news about Lillard's trade request.

"We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he'd prefer to play someplace else," general manager Joe Cronin told reporters Saturday. "What has not changed for us is that we're committed to winning, and we are going to do what's best for the team in pursuit of that goal."

That likely means building around Henderson and Sharpe in particular. In many years, Henderson might have been the top overall pick, but with transcendent prospect Victor Wembanyama available for the San Antonio Spurs and Brandon Miller seen as a better fit next to LaMelo Ball in Charlotte, Henderson fell to No. 3.

Now he's the heir apparent, with the biggest shoes possible left to fill.