Just when all doors seemed to be closing for the Portland Trail Blazers, they landed on gold. Amid the Damian Lillard trade talks, the franchise seemed to be losing its franchise player. However, their luck shined just then as they moved up in the draft lottery to land the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Now, there is a possibility they may have found their new face of the franchise.

Damian Lillard shocked the world with a trade request this summer. Considered the most loyal player in the league, he made a decision that had fans in disbelief. However, the Blazers now seem equipped to facilitate such a move without losing out. How is that you ask? Their 19-year-old rookie looks like the answer to it all. A Hall of Fame analyst recently expressed the same opinion as he hailed the Blazers’ third overall pick.

Amid Damian Lillard trade talks, “Special” rookie shines

Damian Lillard’s constant attempts to get to the Miami Heat has been one of the most prominen topics this offseason. After 12 seasons with the Blazers, the 33-year-old finally made the highly anticipated trade request. However, just when the Blazers seemed to lose their franchise player, there came hope in the name of Scoot Henderson.

Henderson was touted as the best American prospect and the second best prospect after Victor Wembanyama. And sure enough, his versatility, athleticism and speed show potential of just that. This potential seemed undeniable to the Hall-of-Fame analyst, Marc Spears too as he showered praise for Henderson in a recent podcast appearance.

“While Scoot is certainly a much better athlete, I think they’re very similar players” he said, talking about the Blazers head coach, Chauncey Billups. He also mentioned Henderson’s training sessions with the Golden State Warriors superstar, Stephen Curry, saying “To get that tutelage at this age from a future Hall of Famer….to have that influence...”

“He ain’t that young kid that don’t listen….he’s going to listen and take everything and squeeze them….he’s not an arrogant kid, he wants to be magnificent. And to have Chauncey as his teacher on a daily basis, like when Dame is gone, he’ll be in good hands with him. By that double-zero jersey or just take your Dame jersey and add a zero to the right side of this….this kid is special and Chauncey is going to make sure he becomes special” he stated.

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Spears had some high praise for the 19-year-old before he even entered the league. Henderson has a long way to go before he makes his debut in the Blazers uniform. The No.3 pick is currently dealing with high drama surrounding the Blazers’ franchise player, Damian Lillard. However, can the 19-year-old deliver when his time arrives?

Is Henderson the Blazers’ future?

The Blazers landed on Scoot Henderson as an absolute steal in the 2023 NBA Draft. The 19-year-old is undoubtedly a highly promising talent in the league. However, he has to deal with the trade saga surrounding the 7-time All-Star before he can even make his debut.

Despite the drama, Henderson has proved his worth as a top draft pick. The 19-year-old has put his incredible skills on display on several occasions. Be it the G League Ignite or the All-Star weekend, he has shown glimpses of greatness throughout. In fact, his workouts with Stephen Curry this offseason have further increased the excitement among Blazers fans.

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The 19-year-old will have a Herculean task of filling Lillard’s shoes in case the trade does take place. With the hopes of an entire franchise on his shoulders, Henderson’s NBA career will be a fascinating journey.