The Detroit Pistons should swing a trade for Scoot Henderson before some other franchise acquires the 22-year-old. The Portland Trail Blazers traded for Ja Morant and have a logjam in the backcourt. They can’t give significant minutes to Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Morant, and Scoot Henderson. Portland is not dumping the franchise legend or the star guard they just acquired. The market for Holiday is questionable given his salary, which means Scoot could be on the chopping block.
The Pistons want a difference-making guard next to Cade Cunningham. They drafted Jaden Ivey to be that player, but it didn’t work. Detroit saw something in Chauncey Billups in 2002, and it resulted in landing a star and winning a championship. Down the stretch of the 2002 season, the future Hall of Famer reached a new level in Minnesota. The Pistons may try to repeat that feat.
Billups was the third overall draft pick in 1997, and Henderson went third overall in 2023. They are both 6’3 guards who weigh around 200 pounds. Billups played for four different teams before landing in Detroit. Scoot is still with the team that drafted him, but it appears he won’t reach his potential unless he finds a new home.
Scoot Henderson showcased his potential late last season
Henderson missed the first 51 games last season with a hamstring tear. He didn’t return until February and needed some time to shake off the rust. Over the final 17 regular season games, he averaged 15.9 points, 3.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 26.2 minutes per game. The Blazers went 12-6 during that stretch with Scoot shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent on his 3-point attempts. Those are impressive numbers, especially considering his playing time.
Detroit wants the ball in Cunningham’s hands. He is one of the best players in the world, but the Pistons need a secondary creator. Henderson could be just that. He is only 21 years old and nowhere near his peak. If that small sample becomes the new norm, Henderson could be an All-Star.
The Blazers were 3.8 points per 100 possessions better with Scoot on the floor last season. That is a playoff team and includes the games where he was just returning from injury. Henderson’s early career struggles have made fans forget that some draft experts were debating if he should go number one over Victor Wembanyama early in 2023. He shouldn’t have, but that is the type of prospect some believed he was.
The Pistons have refused to pay the price to get Cade a co-star, so they need to buy low on one. Henderson is set to make $13.5 million this season in the final year of his rookie contract. He will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027 if he isn’t extended before the regular season opener.
Detroit may be able to get the rare double bargain. If they acquire him at a low cost in a trade and sign him to a deal Henderson outproduces, it could help solve some of the Pistons' financial issues. They can’t pay everyone and will likely have to choose between Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson at some point. Getting a skill point guard on a bargain would help ease those problems.
The Blazers clearly don’t believe Scoot is their long-term answer. They traded for Jrue Holiday and Ja Morant over the last two years. They are going in a different direction and building around Deni Avdija. That creates the perfect opportunity for Detroit.
The Detroit Pistons should buy low on Scoot Henderson and look to develop him into a star. He still has the potential and wouldn’t be the first guard to blossom after a trade. James Harden, Victor Oladipo, and D’Angelo Russell were top three draft picks who became All-Stars on their second team.
The Pistons would love Scoot to become their next Chauncey Billups, and this is the high-upside swing they should take if they can’t find Cade Cunningham a co-star any other way.
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