NEW YORK — The Portland Trail Blazers selected G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night after the Charlotte Hornets took Brandon Miller at No. 2.
Henderson is the second top-five pick to be selected from the G League Ignite after the Houston Rockets drafted Jalen Green with the No. 2 pick in 2021 and is the seventh player to be drafted since the program launched in 2018. He became the first and youngest player to sign a two-year deal with the Ignite in 2021, reportedly over $1 million. Henderson averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 30 minutes over 19 games for the Ignite this past season.
Henderson went head-to-head with Victor Wembanyama in a pair of games last October with both players exceeding expectations and playing at a high level. Henderson led the Ignite to a 122-115 win in the first game while netting 28 points and nine assists in 31 minutes.
“I’ve been following him for 1-2 years, and out of all the prospects in our class, he’s my favorite player,” Wembanyama told reporters in October. “He’s the most reliable guard in our class, and he’s really a great player. If I was never born, I think he would deserve the first spot.”
During the pre-draft process, Henderson spent time with Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and entered into a mentorship with the all-time leading 3-point scorer.
“Just learning from him, his different habits, seeing how hard he works, was great,” Henderson said at the NBA Draft Combine. “I see how he has his family business, the SC30 and everything, and that’s what I want to build with my family, as well.”
The 6-foot-2 guard out of Georgia is an instant impact player and someone the Trail Blazers can plug in right away. Henderson played two years in the G League with NBA rules and spacing and has dominated competition at times with the way he facilitates for others.
“I think I can coexist with anybody,” Henderson told Yahoo Sports. “I think I can fit in anywhere and I can play either the 2 or the 1, it really doesn’t matter. I can play anywhere on the floor and still find ways to impact the game.”