Should Trail Blazers Cut Bait on Some Rookie-Scale Draft Picks?

Would it behoove Portland to start over?

Feb 15, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; From left, Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17), head coach Chauncey Billups, and guard Scoot Henderson (00) are recognized for being selected to take part int the NBA All-Star weekend break before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

The Portland Trail Blazers are not looking to win now.

They are, however, looking to win later. At some point.

And their last two draft picks, each top-10 selections, are supposed to be a big part of that. But both point guard Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 selection in last year's draft out of the G League Ignite, and shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in 2022 out of Kentucky, have both had some hard knocks during this early phase of their NBA careers.

Would it be worth it for Portland general manager Joe Cronin to explore offloading one of these young players, neither of whom is yet 22? The Trail Blazers are embracing the tank, for now, having missed the last three playoffs and made the kinds of moves this summer (ditching Malcolm Brogdon to save cash, drafting a fourth rotation center in Donovan Clingan) that seem to suggest they're quite comfortable missing a fourth. Both Henderson and Sharpe are still on rookie-scale contracts, meaning they're not particularly pricey just yet. But Henderson had a rough rookie season, and there's no guarantee that either is going to ever become even a contributor on a good team.

In 32 games last year, the 6-foot-6 Sharpe averaged 15.9 points on .406/.333/.824 shooting splits, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.9 steals a night. Henderson appeared in 62 games (32 starts), averaging 14.0 points on pretty inefficient .385/.325/.819 shooting splits, 5.4 assists (against 3.4 turnovers), 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals per.

Sharpe, to this writer, has the edge. He already took a massive leap during his second season, is an athletic super-freak, and doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. Henderson, meanwhile, occasionally struggled mightily even with the ball in his hands. He is already rumored to be undergoing something of a demotion next season, when he will move from a sometime-starting role to a bench gig.

Read More: Is Young Blazers Guard Poised for Massive Breakout?

Ultimately, this was just an exercise. Because both young players are still on their rookie-scale contracts, and can theoretically play off each other, it makes sense for Portland to at least explore their upside as the club continues to tank in 2024-25. But with a stacked 2025 NBA Draft class, it's quite possible that at least one guard could be on the chopping block before they reach restricted free agency — if they don't take a leap.

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