Damian Lillard: 'I Wasn't Offended' Blazers Drafted Scoot Henderson amid Trade Rumors
Portland Trail Blazers superstar guard Damian Lillard said Tuesday that he did not take issue with the Blazers selecting guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
During an appearance on the It Is What It Is podcast (beginning at the 48:25 mark), Lillard was asked if he had a problem with the decision to draft Henderson, and he insisted that he didn't:
"No. Me and Scoot, we've had a few conversations with him coming into the league. That wasn't a deal breaker for me at all. I respect his game. I think in that position he was the best player available, so that's what you've gotta do if you've got the pick. But no, I wasn't offended at all, because at the end of the day, you've gotta come in and play. I've been doing this for a long time, so to me that wasn't a knock on me or anything."
Just days after the Blazers drafted Henderson in late June, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin announced that Lillard had requested a trade.
ESPN Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported at the time that Lillard's preference was to get traded to the Miami Heat.
Lillard reportedly decided to ask for a trade due to his belief that the Blazers did not do enough in free agency to improve the roster and make it capable of competing for a playoff spot and championship next season.
Portland could have potentially tried to trade the No. 3 overall pick in a bigger deal for a veteran star, but it instead decided to take a dynamic, young guard in Henderson, who averaged 16.5 points, 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game last season for G League Ignite.
Other notable moves by the Blazers included signing forwards Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle to new contracts, although they didn't sign any new players of significance in free agency.
With Lillard leading the way, the Blazers were a playoff team in eight straight seasons from 2013 through 2021, but they missed the postseason with a 27-55 record in 2021-22, as Dame was limited to just 29 games due to injury.
Last season, Lillard missed 24 games with injuries, but he was once again highly productive when he played, as the seven-time All-Star averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game to go along with 7.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 three-pointers made.
Even with Lillard putting up huge numbers, the Blazers went just 33-49 and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Since 33-year-old Lillard is under contract through at least the 2024-25 season, the Blazers are under no immediate obligation to move him.
Earlier this month, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t HoopsHype) said there hadn't been much movement on the trade front, so Lillard and the Blazers were "fully prepared" to enter training camp with him still on the roster.
Wojnarowski speculated that the Blazers could revisit trade talks 20 to 25 games into the season, at which point some teams could be willing to give up more for Lillard than they would have previously.
For now, Lillard is poised to enter his 12th NBA season as a Blazer, and he may share the backcourt with Henderson once the 2023-24 campaign commences.
