The Portland Trail Blazers have a critical offseason on their plates, with superstar guard Damian Lillard desiring to immediately build a championship contender in RIP City. That, however, things became even more complicated when they landed the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Now, the Blazers have the dilemma of whether they should keep the third pick and draft a top-level prospect like Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson, or trade it to get a win-now player that could contribute to Portland's title hopes.
Lillard has been pretty candid as of late with his situation. While on an appearance on Showtime Sports, he specifically named the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets as intriguing trade destinations, while shutting down the idea of going to the Boston Celtics. It is definitely interesting how Lillard has become more open to discussing these when he was so adamant about remaining a Blazer for the rest of his career.
With this development, their decision on the No. 3 overall pick is going to become so crucial in 11 days. Using that pick on a young, raw prospect doesn't really move Portland's title hopes. It only moves them further into the future. And it will be interesting how Lillard will react to the organization standing pat on the pick. There is definitely some high-upside talent out there that could potentially take over Dame Time in Portland. But depending on the situation, that pick might not work out so well for them. With that said, here are two players the Blazers must avoid with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
1. Scoot Henderson
Before the pitch forks come out, the Blazers should only avoid picking Scoot Henderson (if he's even still available at this point) if they intend to keep both him and Lillard on the roster next season. Doing this wouldn't make the most sense roster-wise as Henderson and Lillard simply wouldn't be able to co-exist in the backcourt. Not to mention, they still have Anfernee Simons as their starting two-guard. The NBA G-League Ignite guard will likely be the one coming off the bench. For a high-upside star like him, playing behind Lillard and Simons could only hinder his growth and development.
He isn't the kind of prospect that would benefit from playing limited minutes early in his career. As a point guard, Henderson will need to play and get reps in order to max out his potential as a future star or even superstar in the NBA.
Otherwise, if a Lillard trade will be in the cards, they should by all means pick Henderson as he could become the perfect heir apparent in Portland.
2. Cam Whitmore
Regardless of which direction the Blazers franchise goes, they should avoid drafting Cam Whitmore at No. 3. The Ringer has the Villanova standout at No. 4 in its mock draft board. Miller and Henderson seem pretty set in stone as the 2nd and 3rd picks. But if he impresses during the combine and punches his way into the top three conversation, Portland shouldn't fall for the trap and select him.
The Blazers have already made Shaedon Sharpe untouchable and adding another young athletic wing similar to the Canadian's mold wouldn't make much sense. Whitmore is also a freak athlete and has great upside to become a lockdown defender in the NBA.
He definitely has the potential to be a star, but his ceiling isn't as high as the top three or even guys like the Thompson twins are. As such, Portland should stay away from the 18-year-old and draft a higher-ceiling prospect or a player that isn't similar to someone they already have.
Follow Us
Subscribe
