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The Trail Blazers organization quickly followed with an official statement, providing more detail on the recovery timeline. The team confirmed Henderson “will begin rehabilitation and is expected to return to basketball activities in 4-8 weeks”. This means Henderson will likely miss the entire preseason and could be sidelined for the first month of the regular season. With veteran Jrue Holiday and rising star Shaedon Sharpe on the roster, the Blazers have capable players to handle backcourt duties while Henderson focuses on a full recovery. For the Blazers, Henderson’s injury creates both short-term and long-term challenges. Holiday becomes the clear starter at point guard, while Shaedon Sharpe is set for heavier ball-handling duties. Rayan Rupert could also see extended minutes in the early stretch of the season. The bigger concern, however, is the lost development time for Henderson, especially as he was expected to learn directly from Holiday, Billups, and eventually Lillard. As Brett Siegel noted, “Henderson will miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA season and is expected to return to basketball activities in four to eight weeks”. With the Western Conference packed with elite guards, Portland’s timing couldn’t be worse. The impact of this setback ripples beyond just the lineup and will be felt in their playoff outlook as well. How the Blazers Adjust Without Henderson Scoot Henderson‘s injury forces Portland to alter its backcourt plans significantly. Veteran Jrue Holiday, who was likely to share backcourt duties with Henderson, now steps into the full time starting point guard role. At 35 years old, Holiday brings experience but is coming off a season where his numbers declined, averaging 11.1 points and 3.9 assists with the Celtics. The team will need him to handle a heavier workload than initially planned. The injury also creates opportunity for other players. Shaedon Sharpe will see increased ball handling responsibilities, and recent signing Blake Wesley becomes an important depth piece. Wesley shot 37 percent from three point range in the second half of last season and will need to contribute immediately. The Blazers may also use forward Deni Avdija in more playmaking roles to compensate for the loss of Henderson’s creation. For Henderson personally, this is another frustrating delay in his crucial third year development. The 4 to 8 week timeline means he could miss up to 20 games, missing valuable reps alongside his new veteran mentors. The Blazers’ playoff hopes, which already faced long odds in a tough Western Conference, now face an even steeper challenge without their young point guard to start the season.
