Blazers take Scoot Henderson with No. 3 pick in 2023 NBA draft
NEW YORK — After weeks of speculation over a potential pre-draft trade, the Portland Trail Blazers stood pat and selected G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson with the third pick in the NBA draft Thursday night.
Leading up to the draft, Henderson and Alabama forward Brandon Miller went back and forth as the No. 2 prospects behind generational French big man Victor Wembanyama, who was taken No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs.
Ultimately, the Charlotte Hornets went with Miller with the second pick, leaving the Blazers to take Henderson, who will now join a burgeoning young core that includes last year’s seventh overall pick, Shaedon Sharpe, and 24-year-old guard Anfernee Simons.
Henderson said he didn’t have a problem being selected third and not second.
“Not at all,” he said. “I’m glad to see Brandon go there. I’m pretty sure it’s a great fit for him. That’s how I move. I move with love. I’m not mad that I didn’t go 2 or I didn’t go 1. I’m blessed to go 3, and to be here with my family with me.”
Rounding out the top five of Thursday’s draft were Amen Thompson, who went No. 4 to the Houston Rockets, and Ausar Thompson, who went fifth to the Detroit Pistons. The identical twin brothers, who played together as part of the Overtime Elite program, are the first siblings to go in the top 10 of the same draft.
Henderson expressed excitement over the prospect of playing with superstar guard Damian Lillard, whose name has been bandied about in trade discussions over the past few weeks. Lillard, who turns 33 on July 15, might see that talk increase in the wake of Portland hanging on to the third pick and adding another young player rather than trading it to add a veteran in an attempt to improve right away.
Lillard, a seven-time All-Star who arrived in Portland as the No. 6 overall pick in 2012, is coming off arguably his best season, averaging a career-high 32.9 points, 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds. But the…
