The Portland Trail Blazers are in an interesting spot this offseason. The biggest question surrounding the franchise at the moment remains, “can they build a contending team around Damian Lillard?” The past few years haven't exactly gone according to plan for Lillard and the Blazers.

For the past two years, the Blazers essentially gave up in a bid to secure the best lottery odds. In 2022, it netted them Shaedon Sharpe, who looks the part of an athletically gifted shot-creator on the wing. And now, the lottery gods seemed to have found favor in them, jumping up two spots for the third overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.

With Damian Lillard already 32 years old, time is running out for them to win with arguably the greatest player in franchise history. At the very least, the Blazers are reportedly looking for ways to add a co-star, perhaps Pascal Siakam or Jaylen Brown, by dangling Anfernee Simons and the third overall pick.

It's unclear, however, if any team would be willing to trade away an All-NBA caliber player for the third overall pick, as enticing of an asset as that might be. The Toronto Raptors may want to continue being a middling team in the hopes of swinging a trade for a star themselves; meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are still alive in the playoffs, and Brown will be crucial to their hopes of winning a championship even though he hasn't had the best stretch of games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

At the end of the day, the Blazers may have to use their high draft pick for themselves. But that may not necessarily be a bad thing, as it's looking more and more likely that Scoot Henderson falls into their laps.

Here are two reasons why Henderson is such a perfect fit for what the Blazers are trying to build.

Damian Lillard's successor?

Damian Lillard is still at the top of his game. Just this past season, Lillard averaged 32.2 points and 7.3 assists on a career best true shooting percentage. In a game predicated on skill and perimeter shot-creation, Lillard ticks off those boxes as well as anyone. He can certainly become the best player on a contending team, especially if the Blazers manage to surround him with the necessary pieces.

But Lillard is already 32 years old. Small guards don't usually age well throughout NBA history, and Lillard doesn't exactly have the most durable past. He should remain an elite player for years to come, but until when?

Drafting Scoot Henderson, the best point guard prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft, isn't exactly ideal, especially with Anfernee Simons still on the roster. Simons himself deserves a shot at becoming a lead guard, whether in Portland or elsewhere. If the Blazers keep Lillard and Simons (which is very unlikely given their offseason plans), then Henderson may have to start his career off the bench.

Nevertheless, Henderson's sheer potential should be too much to pass up on at number three. His dynamic point guard play by virtue of his incredible court vision, not to mention his athletic gifts that accentuate his feel for the game, scream future star, even if his jumpshot doesn't become elite.

The sheer rim pressure he should put would allow him to emerge as one of the most difficult covers in the league, and if all goes according to plan, he should become a player in the mold of Russell Westbrook, Ja Morant, Derrick Rose, and John Wall.

With the Charlotte Hornets reportedly leaning towards drafting Brandon Miller with the second overall pick, the Blazers shouldn't overthink things, drafting the best player available and figuring it out later, especially when Henderson should give the Blazers a potential successor to their aging franchise star.

Scoot Henderson gives the Blazers options

Beyond looking towards a Damian Lillard-less future, the Blazers could very well dangle the third pick in trades. The story of the 2023 NBA Draft thus far has been the lack of consensus outside the top three, as there seems to be a drop-off from the fourth pick below. As a result, there will be plenty of teams who will be looking to trade up for the chance to draft a player who plays like a future multiple-time All-Star, like Scoot Henderson.

Perhaps the Detroit Pistons eschews fit and trades up to nab Henderson alongside Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Or perhaps teams in dire need of a floor general, such as the Utah Jazz or Washington Wizards, could package a few assets of theirs along with their lower-end lottery picks to add the talented 19-year old to their ranks.

Scoot Henderson's potential presence at number three should also be enticing to teams that may be willing to trade away their stars (the Raptors come to mind).

At the end of the day, the value of the Blazers' pick jumped tenfold when they won the third overall selection, further bolstering their chances of either adding more assets to gear up for a potential rebuild or to add a disgruntled star that should make Damian Lillard's life easier.