Trail Blazers Guard Signs with Rich Paul, Klutch Sports

Matt Levine

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One of the many guards from the Portland Trail Blazers has some new representation. Former third-overall pick Scoot Henderson has signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.

ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed the news on social media.

The move over to Klutch Sports is a way for Henderson to look toward the future when it comes to any deals. While he is only entering his second season in the NBA, it's important for him to look ahead and see how things could shake out for him down the line.

The former lottery pick had an up-and-down season with Portland to start but there is plenty of promise that he can grow into the player the team believes he can be. He averaged 14.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.

Henderson also shot only 32.5 percent from beyond the 3-point line. With the league having gone to more shooting, Henderson is going to have to work on his ability behind the line. He will be played off the court if he can't shoot the ball, especially as a guard.

It's still a little early to judge Henderson, even with his rocky first season in the NBA. His athleticism is one of his strengths and that isn't going away anytime soon.

He can use that, along with his explosiveness to get to the rim until his 3-point shot can start falling at a more consistent rate. Henderson does have a boom or bust type of potential but the Trail Blazers are high on his overall upside going forward.

His shortcomings will be highlighted, especially for being a modern NBA point guard. He will also need to work on cutting down turnovers in games but his work this offseason should help.

Coming over from the G-League, Henderson may not have been able to get up to speed in the NBA just yet. With one season under his belt, the experience could allow him to start to fulfill his potential this season.

With other guards in the rotation such as Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, Henderson will need to show improvement quickly this year. He doesn't want to get lost in the rotation and end up becoming a bench player around the league.

The NBA tends to label players by the third season so the clock is ticking on Henderson to show why Portland took him third overall just a year ago.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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