Trail Blazers Should Go All-In On Trade for Young, Injury-Prone All-Star

Must we play the waiting game with some of Portland's young recent lottery picks?

Nov 10, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzles guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles as Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Portland Trail Blazers fans have seemingly resigned themselves to the potentially very un-fun fate of having to watch raw 20-year-old point guard Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, try to become at least a sixth man-caliber NBA point guard over presumably the next several seasons.

There wasn't a ton of evidence that he could even do that, during a surprisingly weak 2023-24 rookie season (although he did have a respectable run in April, when most of Portland's opposition was on autopilot, either due to already having secured draft positioning or already having secured a spot in this summer's draft lottery). Playing just 62 games due to injury, Henderson averaged 14.0 points on .385/.325/.819 shooting splits, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals a night for the 21-61 Blazers.

He appears doomed for a demotion this season, as chatter around the team suggests starting shooting guard Anfernee Simons will be slotted into his point guard role, while third-year shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe will be moved into the starting two-guard spot.

Read More: Trail Blazers Position Preview: Point Guard

So what if Portland team president/general manager Joe Cronin decided to just get a little crazy this offseason or during 2024-25? What if he decided to punt on Henderson and Simons, and go all-in on a still-young-but-more-proven commodity?

Charlotte Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball may be seen by his team's new ownership group as a critical building block for the future, but a long injury history and a bloated contract could also give them pause.

Only once in his four NBA seasons has the 6-foot-7 former Rookie of the Year appeared in more than 51 games — his lone All-Star season, in 2021-22, when he suited up for 75 contests on a respectable 43-39 No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. Across the past two years, Ball's absences have gotten worse. He appeared in just 36 contests in 2022-23, and then just 22 last season.

But he's a proven offensive commodity, unlike Henderson. And unlike Simons, he is a terrific passer with dynamite handles. In 2023-24, Ball averaged 23.9 points on .433/.355/.865 shooting splits, 8.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a game. Those are exquisite fantasy basketball numbers, albeit on a terrible Hornets team. But this Blazers club is headed nowhere fast, and Ball would at the very least be a blue-chipper. Still barely 23, he'd be worth the risk for a Portland team on the hunt for its next superstar — and his presence clearly won't impact winning too much right away, which is optimal as the Blazers look to tank for the 2025 NBA Draft.

A deal for Ball would probably require giving up Simons, some lightly-protected picks, and the contract of either Henderson or Robert Williams III — but it could pay major dividends down the road, and Portland seems likely to be able to add back more picks of its own whenever it's able to trade power forward Jerami Grant.

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