The Portland Trail Blazers are unsurprisingly running quiet through the first few days of NBA Free Agency. The franchise currently has 13 players already committed to the roster next season, assuming they confirm Duop Reath’s non-guaranteed deal.
As well as being almost full, the roster is also relatively balanced following the Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons deal and Deandre Ayton buyout. From here, trade will be the franchise’s prime avenue for improvement with Jerami Grant the player most likely moved.
The current situation places Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson as the two full time point guards. Deni Avdija can facilitate from the forward positions but isn’t particularly suited to running the offense full time.
While many have been clamoring for Henderson to be given the reigns as the franchise’s starting point guard, the fact the Blazers felt they needed Holiday, speaks volumes. The veteran has not deteriorated enough to be just a mentor to Henderson and is still earning starter-level money.
Holiday is a proven, highly decorated guard with championship pedigree and the tools to operate on both sides of the ball. Henderson has shown some offensive glimpses but, as we speak, is yet to prove he has the capacity for All Star or All-NBA honors.
Acknowledging that the roster is not yet complete, today we ask who will start for the Blazers at lead guard on opening night. While Holiday is not yet officially a Blazer, we’ll assume the deal has been completed for the purposes of this piece.
Jrue Holiday
Age: 35 (36 in June 2026)
Measurements: 6’4 (6’7 wingspan)
Contract remaining: Three years, $104.4 million (player option on the final year)
Career stats: 15.8 points, 37.0% 3pt, 4.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.4 steals
The Simons-for-Holiday deal caught us all off guard. There was no hint the Blazers had any interest in bringing back the veteran guard after his momentary Portland tenure between the two stages of the 2023 Damian Lillard trade.
The 35-year-old arrives in Portland 13 months after serving as a key piece in the Boston Celtics’ 2024 Championship. Though much further from his rookie year than retirement, Holiday is still one of the best two-way guards in the NBA.
The two-time champion is a chameleon, able to play both on and off the ball, serving in a range of roles that better his team. Holiday has never been a pass-first point guard but he’s more than competent running an offense. In Boston, his usage has been understandably lower than any other point in his career, given the number of creators on that squad.
But looking at his New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks' tenures, Holiday largely figured above the 80th percentile in assist rate among point and combo guards. Though not an elite three-point shooter, Holiday is competently able to score at all three levels, knows his spots and how to get to them.
On the other side of the ball, Holiday is still one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. The season before last, he finished sixth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, while earning his sixth All Defensive team honor in 2022-24. Last season, he finished in the 70th percentile in block rate among combo guards, enhancing Boston’s masterfully stingy defense.
He may miss a game here and there but in each of his past four seasons, the guard has played more than 60 games, suggesting there are no real durability concerns.
As mentioned, the idea that Holiday was brought in to be a Henderson whisperer is downright ridiculous when you consider his contract and his still-high level of play. If the Blazers wanted to bring in a more experienced veteran to instruct Henderson while playing minimal minutes, there are plenty of names available for the veteran minimum.
Though 35-year-old Holiday is understandably on the downslope of his career, until I see it, his physicality and savvy should serve the Blazers well.
Scoot Henderson
Age: 21 (22 in February 2026)
Measurements: 6’3 (6’9 wingspan)
Contract remaining: Two years, $24.3 million (team option on the second year)
Career stats: 13.3 points, 34.0% 3pt, 3.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.9 steals
The now third-year guard showed signs of an intriguing skillset last season. However, the periods of inactivity and inefficiency were still more prominent than the good parts. The Blazers probably don’t regret picking Henderson third in 2023 but with the Thompson twins and Derek Lively, they might have made a different call in hindsight.
For those calling for Henderson to be given the reigns as the starting point guard, I say he’s yet to earn it, despite playing starter-level minutes last season. The catalyst for Henderson being an elite point guard will never occur just because he’s given a starting role. That’s ridiculous and an insult to Henderson, suggesting he can only be that guy, if he’s starting. The fact that he was selected with the third pick and indirectly contributed to the departure of Damian Lillard doesn’t mean he deserves or should be given a specific role.
Henderson clearly possesses natural passing ability, but the skillset is yet to translate onto the stat sheet. I’ll grant that he hasn’t been surrounded by world-beating shooters but the fact that he finished in the 48th percentile in assist rate among point guards last season is concerning. Henderson’s long-range shooting isn’t as bad as we initially thought but his inability to navigate traffic, make shrewd decisions and take over games, does give me pause.
On defense, he’s yet to top the 40th percentile in either block or steal rate among point guards. His length and intensity should make him at least a passable defender, but he’s yet to fulfil that potential.
I hope he proves me wrong and has a breakout season this year. But on what we’ve seen so far, his ceiling will eventually be a starting-level point guard. But he's not there yet.
Starting Them Together
I don’t like it. While Holiday is still an elite-ish guard defender, we’ve seen what a backcourt with two guards measuring 6’4 and under, looks like. The pair probably start together at points throughout the season, but I don’t see it as the best way to optimize the Blazers backcourt rotation.
Ideally, each shares backcourt duties with one of Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara or even Matisse Thybulle in line with the team’s new defensive identity.
Conclusion
Jrue Holiday has to start at point guard for the Blazers next season. Scoot Henderson has shown signs, but Holiday makes more sense when evaluating talent and experience. Holiday makes the already defensive-minded Blazers that much more difficult to score against. Henderson can defend but he’s not at the same level.
Though starting the veteran will no doubt anger many Blazers fans, Coach Chauncey Billups can continue to give Henderson starting level minutes off the bench. While the jury is still out on Henderson, there is no doubt about Holiday’s value on the court on both sides of the ball.
For this team to win games, which appears to be the plan, they need to play to their strengths. A whole lot of defense with Holiday’s veteran acumen and team-first mantra seems the best way forward, at least on opening night.