NBA insiders say the Trail Blazers are expected to keep the #3 pick and take either Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson

Ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard have been one of the main talking points. Lillard’s future with the team is still up in the air and the team holds the #3 pick. This gives the Blazers a number of options this offseason. NBA insiders say the Trail Blazers are expected to keep the #3 pick. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has reported they will take either Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson. 

The Blazers are trying to stay competitive with Lillard, while also building for the future. It’s not easy to balance the future of a franchise that way, but Portland is confident they can do so. They want to build around Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and Lillard.

Adding the #3 pick to that core will increase their talent level tremendously. Portland has to keep its own long-term success in mind while also trying to keep Lillard satisfied.

The Blazers intend to hold onto the No. 3 pick and select Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson unless they receive an incredible deal, per @DraftExpress

Portland’s goal is to remain competitive with Damian Lillard and build for the future with Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and… pic.twitter.com/LfHuJHWbYD

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 20, 2023

League sources say that the Blazers are expected to keep the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

Last season, the Trail Blazers finished 13th in the West with a 33-49 record. On top of that, they were lucky enough to land the #3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Detroit Pistons finished with the league’s worst record and fell out of the top three choices in the upcoming draft.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has stated the Blazers will keep the #3 overall choice. That is unless they are blown away by an offer that they simply cannot refuse. Insiders around the NBA have stated that Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are doing what they can to recruit Lillard.

Despite their interest, the Blazers are content with the roster they have. During the 2022-23 season, Lillard played in 58 of their 82 games. He averaged a team-high (32.2) points and (7.3) assists. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant were the next-best scoring options for the Blazers.

The addition of Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson will ease the scoring duties of Lillard and their other role players. If Victor Wembanyama was not in this draft, Miller or Henderson could have been the #1 overall pick. Getting either player at #3 is a steal for Portland.