The instant the Portland Trail Blazers claimed premier point guard Scoot Henderson as the No. 3 overall draft pick in Thursday night's 2023 NBA Draft, doubts swirled about whether seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard would eventually seek a trade away from his lifelong team.
.jpg "2023 NBA Draft: After selecting Scoot Henderson, what's next for the Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard?")
Stadium's Shams Charania indicated that Lillard's decision could stretch out from tonight up until free agency starts, possibly even into free agency. As per reports, he has made it known he wants no part of a rebuilding project with young players if Portland can't make considerable improvements to the squad.
Meanwhile, TNT and Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes announced that "Lillard has not engaged in recent talks with the Blazers concerning the draft, free agency or his future." However, he has been in touch with Henderson.
Henderson expressed excitement about building a relationship with Lillard on SiriusXM NBA Radio and believes their games complement each other well. He also hopes Lillard stays to allow them both to learn and grow together on the team.
According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the Blazers did not plan on trading No. 3 pick unless they acquired one of several high-priority targets. Although Portland was linked to various big names like Zion Williamson, Paul George, Mikal Bridges and Bam Adebayo none have materialized thus far.
In terms of potential stars who might elevate a Lillard-led roster to contention in Portland there aren't many options left. While Jaylen Brown wouldn't be enough for this task on his own; Anfernee Simons (24), Shaedon Sharpe (20),19-year-old Henderson as well as multiple future first-round picks can all be used for procuring win-now reinforcements. It remains unclear which direction will be taken by Portland management moving forward.
Earlier this month during an appearance on Showtime’s “The Last Stand Podcast,” Lillard openly discussed possible trade scenarios—highlighting his preference for Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets due to existing relationships with Adebayo and Bridges, along with those teams’ roster compositions.
Lillard has consistently expressed his reluctance in taking part in a rebuilding process. His position on integrating young players hasn’t changed, as he continues to believe he'll start next season with the Blazers despite whispers of unrest.
Lillard will turn 33 in the coming month. After missing 53 games due to an abdominal tear last season, he bounced back this year by averaging an impressive 32.2 points (on 46/37/91 shooting splits), 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in his games. This earned him a seventh spot on the All-NBA roster. However, questions arise on how long he can maintain this performance level, and whether the young Blazers will need to hasten their growth to contend.
The team's current composition remains lopsided with Lillard, Henderson, and Simons all being 6-foot-3 or shorter players. Lillard's prior collaboration with fellow 6-3 guard C.J. McCollum resulted in only one Western Conference finals appearance, so it's clear they're a few steps away from achieving Lillard's aspirations of a championship even if they re-sign free agent Jerami Grant.
Consequently, there is an underlying tension amongst the Blazers - reluctance to trade key young talents or Lillard himself while battling Lillard’s growing resistance to pairing up with inexperienced players or requesting a trade outright. At some point, something has to budge as NBA front offices are eagerly waiting for Portland to choose its path amidst increasing pressure for change.