Scoot Henderson is still a teenager, but he has already been a professional basketball player for two years.
Henderson joined the NBA’s G League Ignite team at 17 years old. For the past two seasons, he has earned seven figures while competing against other pros in the NBA's developmental league.
Henderson is expected to be selected no later than the No. 3 pick in this month’s draft. On Monday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Pelicans are expected to “aggressively pursue” either the Nos. 2 or 3 picks in an attempt to land Henderson.
“Their eyes (are) set on Scoot Henderson,” Charania said.
The Pelicans have serious interest in Henderson, league sources confirmed. They also have the assets to make a significant offer to pry the No. 2 pick away from the Charlotte Hornets or the No. 3 pick away from the Portland Trail Blazers. The big question: Are they willing to put an All-Star on the table?
Thanks to the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades, New Orleans has seven first-round picks in the next five years, including a 2024 unprotected first from the Los Angeles Lakers that can be deferred until 2025 and a 2027 unprotected first from the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pelicans also have a host of interesting young role players to package with those picks. But for a deal to get done, New Orleans might have to part with either Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson.
Ingram and Williamson have combined to make three All-Star Games in the past four years. They are talented but unreliable. They combined to miss 90 games last season. In the four years they have been together, the Pelicans have finished no higher than ninth place. Ingram is under contract for two more seasons, while Williamson has five years left on his deal.
The Pelicans hired Willie Green to be their coach in July 2021. In the nearly two years he’s been in charge, Ingram and Williamson have played 12 games together. Moving off either Ingram or Williamson for Henderson would be an acknowledgement that the Pelicans think their stars’ reliability issues will not change going forward.
Henderson is an electric lead guard. He drives downhill like he is being powered by an invisible combustion engine, and he can turn on a dime. He has the strength and athleticism to dunk over much bigger defenders. One of his best highlights from last season came in January, when he dunked over Birmingham Squadron forward Feron Hunt, who’s listed at 6-foot-8.
Henderson looks and plays much bigger than 6-2. It helps that he has a 6-9 wingspan, and he is built like a safety. He was listed at 195 pounds on the G League Ignite’s roster.
Henderson’s 3-point percentage with the Ignite last season (27.5%) wasn’t great, but it’s not accurate to label him a non-shooter. When he can’t get all the way to the rim, he is an effective pull-up jump shooter. He’s also a talented playmaker who intuitively understands when and where to get his teammates the ball.
In October, the Ignite played a pair of games against the French club Metropolitans 92, which had soon-to-be No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama on its roster. In their first game, Henderson went toe-to-toe against Wembanyama. Henderson scored 28 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Henderson showed that night why he has a chance to be special at the NBA level. It is rare for a teenager to have his handle, athleticism and relentlessness as an attacker. Expect the Pelicans to continue to look at ways to move up in the draft as we head toward June 22.