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Last season was largely viewed as a make-or-break season for Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson. While he continues to get better at age 22, it primarily had to do with Portland's roster situation.
After moving on from Anfernee Simons, Henderson finally had a golden opportunity to take the keys to the backcourt. Yes, Jrue Holiday was now in the picture, but he's proven throughout his career to be a versatile guard who can fit into any team's roster, elevating the players around him rather than hindering their development.
Unfortunately, Henderson's chance was over before it even began as he suffered an untimely hamstring injury during an offseason workout. By the time he returned late in the season, it was too little too late.
He may have had a few encouraging games in Portland's first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, but with that came inconsistency, in part because of his uncertain role.
Scoot may be healthier and better heading into 2026-27, but will have even more difficulty ascending the Blazers' backcourt hierarchy. Damian Lillard's return was expected, which was a primary reason Henderson's best chance to get the keys was last season. But now, Portland also somehow has Ja Morant in the picture?
Blazers' offseason moves come at Scoot Henderson's expense
To be clear, the Blazers seem fine with that being the case as they continue to stockpile assets. But eventually, one would assume something has to give considering the diminishing returns and roster holes that still need to be addressed elsewhere.
During a Bleacher Report livestream covering the beginning of the free agency period, NBA insider Jake Fischer did happen to mention that there were talks of Portland potentially making Henderson available during the NBA Draft. That's not surprising considering they didn't have a single selection in what many projected to be a stacked class -- and what has already proven to be the case throughout Summer League.
But even if the Blazers don't ultimately trade Henderson, the fact that they were even willing to is telling in itself.
Portland's former No.3 overall pick is eligible for an extension this summer, and unlike Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara the year prior, I'm just not sure he's done enough to justify it. The one thing he has going in his favor is his surprising development as a 3-and-D guard, which will give him an opportunity to play alongside these guards in more of an off-ball role.
That said, window for Henderson to take over the backcourt and solidify himself as a legitimate building block in Portland was last season. That's not entirely his fault due to injury and their offseason moves -- it's just the reality of the situation.
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This article was originally published on ripcityproject.com as The Blazers' Scoot Henderson era could be over before it even begins.
