The Portland Trail Blazers franchise is in some turmoil following Damian Lillard‘s trade request on Saturday. He has been their franchise cornerstone for a decade now, but it seems like he will leave this offseason.
While a superstar like Lillard can never truly be replaced, the Blazers have made some excellent draft picks with a lot of talent in recent seasons. They selected Shaedon Sharpe with the 7th overall pick in 2022 and Scoot Henderson with the 3rd overall pick in 2023. And a video of the two linking up in practice has now gone viral.
Scoot Henderson to Shaedon Sharpe is going to be a movie
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 2, 2023
Henderson found a cutting Sharpe who went to the rim and threw down a huge dunk. This had fans in the replies feeling hyped about the potential of the duo despite the potential loss of Lillard.
Portland was in Win Now mode for 11 years in a hopeless conference and ended up with an elite young core anyway. Extended rebuilds are just stupid and a waste of time. Keep your picks and you’ll be fine https://t.co/vEYIUshup6
— 👾 (@N3wGodFl0w) July 2, 2023
Once Lillard leaves, a rebuild is likely, but as one fan pointed out, Scoot and Shaedon are excellent pieces to have when starting one.
Scoot Henderson to Shaedon Sharpe are actually such solid pieces for a rebuild.
Scoot is probably going to be the rookie of the year and Sharpe is actually so underrated. His jumps are so insane. https://t.co/E4PfKwLa9b
— Sub (@shoesandbras) July 2, 2023
Another fan took it one step further, suggesting that the burgeoning talent of Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson is part of the reason Lillard is requesting a trade.
I’ll say it. Dame is leaving because he is about to no longer be why people come to watch. These two will be special. Best for Dame to leave. https://t.co/NrETIN4Xhq
— CrashDavis (@CrashDavis8) July 2, 2023
Whether they will succeed or not remains to be seen, but one thing fans can be sure of is that it will be really fun to watch.
That team is going to be fun to watch in the future! Portland is going to make sure they get a good package in return for Dame and will put that rebuild on a much faster pace to success than what most indicate https://t.co/yfIoolz6Ar
— Sharom Urdaneta (@Tu_Dominicano16) July 2, 2023
Shaedon Sharpe just played 22.2 minutes per game last season, but impressed. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He could be ready to take a jump next season with a bigger role. And Scoot Henderson was expected to be a No. 1 pick if not for Victor Wembanyama. It’s safe to say that the future is bright.
Portland Trail Blazers Will Get Even More Good Pieces After Trading Damian Lillard
Although Damian Lillard has made it clear that he wants to be traded to the Miami Heat, the Blazers will hold out for a solid return in any package. And if they can get a star in exchange or a few good players and picks, they could be good again sooner than people expect.
The basketball side of things might work out, although Damian Lillard’s loss will be felt by the city on an emotional level as well. He has given a lot to the organization and Portland, and it will take some time to move on from him. This new era of Blazers basketball seems like a wildcard at this time.
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