The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t looking to win now.
But they hope to win later, at some point.
And their last two draft picks, both top-10 picks, are expected to be big contributors. But point guard Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 pick in last year’s draft out of G League Ignite, and guard Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in 2022 out of Kentucky, have both struggled in this early phase of their NBA careers.
Would it be worth it for Portland general manager Joe Cronin to consider parting with one of those young players, none of whom are 22 yet? The Trail Blazers are sitting pretty for now, having missed the last three playoffs and making the kind of moves this summer (shedding Malcolm Brogdon to save money, adding a fourth center in Donovan Clingan) that seem to suggest they’re pretty comfortable without a fourth. Henderson and Sharpe are still on rookie contracts, meaning they’re not particularly expensive right now. But Henderson had a rough rookie season, and there’s no guarantee either will ever become a contributor on a good team.
In 32 games last year, the 6-foot-2 Sharpe averaged 15.9 points on .406/.333/.824 shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Henderson played in 62 games (32 starts), averaging 14.0 points on .385/.325/.819 shooting, 5.4 assists (against 3.4 turnovers), 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game.
Sharpe, for this writer, has the edge. He’s already made a massive leap forward in his second season, is super-athletic and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. Henderson, meanwhile, has struggled mightily at times even with the ball in his hands. There are already rumors that he will suffer some sort of demotion next seasonas he moves from an occasional starting role to a replacement role.
Learn more: Is the Blazers’ young guard ready for a massive breakthrough?
Ultimately, it was just an exercise. Given that both young players are still under rookie-level contracts and could theoretically play against each other, it makes sense for Portland to at least explore their potential as the club continues to slump in 2024-25. But with a deep 2025 NBA draft class, it’s entirely possible that at least one guard will be on the hot seat before they reach restricted free agency — if they don’t make the big jump.
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