During these playoffs, one storyline that made waves was how the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder were able to add Jared McCain to their already elite roster while giving up nothing of real value in return. The Philadelphia 76ers believed they were "selling high" on McCain after a promising rookie year cut short by injuries and a slow start to his second season, but this was far from the case.
McCain ended up being a pivotal piece for the Thunder during their playoff run, and with the injuries they were dealing with, they were able to see McCain scale up as a volume shot-maker with some on-ball juice.
The Minnesota Timberwolves should look to take a page from the Thunder's book here by scouring the league for young talent that might be cast off by their current team.
One name that could fit this bill is Portland Trail Blazers point guard, Scoot Henderson.
Scoot Henderson's future in Portland might be murky
Starting next season, the Blazers will have franchise icon Damian Lillard coming back from an Achilles injury that sidelined him in his entire first season back with his old team. With Dame back in the fold and likely assuming that starting role, the Blazers will likely be in win-now mode.
Alongside Lillard in the backcourt will probably be two-time champion Jrue Holiday. Holiday was traded to Portland last offseason in a salary dump that sent Anfernee Simons to the Boston Celtics, but he proved to still be a winning player despite his advanced age.
Henderson was the third overall pick in the 2023 draft and had large expectations to become Portland's next star point guard after Lillard's original departure. But with Lillard back now and Henderson dealing with some inconsistencies, the Blazers could look to trade him before the time comes to extend him.
Henderson could be the young point guard the Timberwolves are missing
This past season, after missing the majority of the year with a torn hamstring, Henderson came back and showed flashes of stardom. He averaged 14.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. In the playoffs, however, the star in him showed out. He averaged 15 points in the playoffs and notably had a playoff career-high 31 points in Portland's Game 2 win over the Spurs.
What was most promising about his first playoff series was that he shot 46.4 percent from 3-point range in those six games compared to 35.2 percent in the regular season. If the three-point shooting is real, then he would be a dynamic fit next to Anthony Edwards, as he's already a force getting downhill.
Henderson is only 22 years old, and despite playing well in the playoffs, it doesn't look like he has a starting job in Portland anymore. His value is uncertain, but the Blazers may look to move him for more win-now pieces.
If the Wolves are keen on adding a point guard of the future to the fold next season without giving up every asset they have, Henderson could give them exactly what they need at a reasonable cost. As the Thunder did with McCain, the Wolves can give Henderson a chance he likely won't get in Portland.
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