The Portland Trail Blazers thought they had found their future when they drafted Scoot Henderson third overall in 2023. The plan seemed perfect: trade Damian Lillard, hand the keys to the promising young guard, and watch him blossom into Portland’s next superstar. Two seasons later, Henderson is still searching for that breakthrough moment, and now he’ll have an unexpected mentor to help him find it.
How Did Scoot Henderson React to Damian Lillard’s Shocking Return?
Henderson’s NBA journey hasn’t followed the script Portland envisioned. Across 128 games in two seasons, he’s started just 42 times while averaging 12.7 points in 2024-25 and 14.0 points per game the previous season. When news broke that the Trail Blazers were bringing back the very player Henderson was supposed to replace, fans wondered how the 21-year-old would handle the situation.
According to NBA insider Zach Lowe, Henderson’s reaction was far from what most expected. “Scoot Henderson was clued in to what was going on to make sure he was cool with it,” Lowe revealed. “What I have been told is he was super enthusiastic about it. Not threatened at all. There was this undercurrent of, ‘Oh man, if I am Scoot, I am going to be angry. I am going to be back on the bench.'”
Zach Lowe confirms that Scoot was clued in before the Dame signing happened:
“He was super enthusiastic about it, not threatened at all. There was this undercurrent of ‘if I’m Scoot I’m going to be angry’…Scoot’s gonna have all the runway in the world.”
(Via Zach Lowe Show) pic.twitter.com/vou4GjbVb2
— Blazers Lead (@BlazersLead) July 21, 2025
Rather than viewing Lillard’s return as competition, Henderson apparently sees it as an opportunity. Lowe explained the practical reality of the situation: “Dude, the guy’s out for a year. Scoot’s going to have all the runway in the world. And then we’ll see: can they play together, who starts, who comes off the bench, whatever. We will all figure that out later. In the meantime, you get to learn.”
What Makes This Mentorship Opportunity So Valuable for Henderson?
The learning opportunity extends beyond just Lillard’s presence. Lowe highlighted the unique situation Henderson finds himself in: “One person with the Blazers told me, ‘Scoot gets to learn now from one of the best offensive point guards of all time, one of the best defensive point guards of all time, and has a Hall of Fame point guard as his head coach in his Chauncey Billups,'” Lowe said.
The credentials speak for themselves. Lillard ranks fifth among all point guards in NBA history with 22,598 career points, while also sitting fourth on the all-time three-pointers made list. His offensive mastery is undeniable.
READ MORE: NBA Insider Reveals How Damian Lillard’s Shocking Blazers Return Leaves Portland in an Awkward Spot
Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday brings elite defensive expertise to the mix. Holiday has earned six All-Defensive team selections throughout his career. ESPN’s Baxter Holmes wrote in May, “In three of the past four annual NBA general manager surveys, Holiday was voted as the league’s best perimeter defender. He has five times finished in the top eight in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year award, tied for the most by any guard since the award was first handed out in 1982-83.”
Henderson now has access to a rare combination: elite offensive and defensive mentors, plus a championship-winning point guard as his head coach in Chauncey Billups. If Henderson can absorb these lessons and make significant strides in his third season, the Trail Blazers could emerge as legitimate playoff contenders when Lillard eventually returns to action.