The Portland Trail Blazers selected Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 pick, but what will that mean for the future of Damian Lillard?
In a decision that was seemingly made for them by Charlotte, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Scoot Henderson from the G-League Ignite with the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Make no mistake, Henderson could end up being the second-best player in the 2023 draft class. However, this pick came after multiple rumors leading up to Thursday night's proceedings that Damian Lillard could leave if they were unable to trade the No. 3 pick for a high-end veteran. However, there were conflicting reports on draft day that Lillard had changed his tune in that regard.
Anfernee Simons was also considered the key piece of trade bait for the Trail Blazers to get a top veteran. They reportedly had discussions with multiple teams for All-NBA talent to help Lillard, but nothing materialized.
Now with Henderson in tow, Portland could still get help for Lillard, but landing another All-Star talent is unlikely, which puts the franchise in an interesting position with the All-NBA guard going forward.
Trail Blazers: What happens with Damian Lillard after Scoot Henderson pick?
Even in spite of the rumors, the writing appears to be on the wall that, fortunately, Lillard won't be going anywhere right now. The reports that he won't request a trade seem believable, even if the Trail Blazers also don't trade their pick later in the first round, No. 23 overall.
Lillard doesn't appear to be following in the footsteps of Jimmy Butler with the Timberwolves or James Harden with the Rockets by any stretch.
In the end, the All-NBA guard may indeed choose to just suck it up and play for the Trail Blazers for as long as possible. At the same time, though, all of this seems to be trending toward a divorce between the two parties, which Portland taking a long view in the draft indicates.
However, it does seem that it could be a season or two before we see Lillard get dealt.
