The Trail Blazers acquired Gerald Henderson last summer to add leadership and experience to a rebuilding roster, the idea being that he would be a perfect one-year piece in a transitional season.

But as this transitional season enters its final days, a curious and perhaps unexpected development has emerged behind the scenes. Henderson has grown comfortable in his new city and smitten with his new organization and wouldn't mind remaining in Portland long-term. What's more, his teammates, including some of the Blazers' most important players, would love for him to stay.

"He's been huge for our team," All-Star Damian Lillard said. "I would definitely love for our team to bring him back."

Added Ed Davis: "We need him back. We need guys like Gerald, what he can do on the court, what he can do off the court, everything that he brings."

Henderson will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and his blend of scoring, leadership and unselfishness will be a sought-after commodity on the open market, particularly at a time the NBA salary cap is expected to balloon by 29 percent.

And while he hasn't done much deep thinking about free agency or where his next adventure will take him, Henderson, 28, has allowed himself to contemplate a future in Portland. Over the last six months, he's grown close to Lillard, become a respected leader inside the Blazers' locker room, carved out a role he likes as a scoring guard off the bench and learned to embrace Portland and the West Coast.

"I'd love to come back here," he said. "If they want me back and we can come up with a contract that makes sense, then I'd love to come back here. This has been a great year. I was just telling the guys; this has probably been one of the most fun teams I've been on. This has been one of my most fun years. Because we've really worked for this. We've really earned this. It's a tight group, a great group of guys."

The Blazers will have at least six free agents this summer, including younger restricted players like Allen Crabbe, Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless. There won't be nearly as much turnover as there was last offseason, but there's no question a roster that has exceeded expectations will be infused with some new blood. Heading into the season, Henderson seemed to be a one-year stopgap -- perhaps even a candidate to be traded at the deadline -- but after evolving into an important voice on the NBA's third-youngest roster and a key rotation piece for a team that has drastically exceeded expectations, his future seems more open-ended.

And while you might think that a player who has started the bulk of his seven NBA seasons would long to regain that role, Henderson says that won't guide his next move. He's grown into his role in Portland and yearns simply to be what he calls a "big-minute player."

"You've got to obviously look at all your options and pick the best situation for you," Henderson said. "I can't say where that is now. None of that talk has really started and we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But coming back here would be great. This has got to be one of the top organizations in the league. I've only been on two. But the way they treat the payers, the way they run things day-to-day -- coach (Terry) Stotts is great -- they do things the right way."

Leader, friend

It took time for Henderson to find his footing in Portland. He missed training camp and nearly a month of the season rehabilitating from offseason hip surgery. And when he finally returned, Henderson licked his wounds a bit as he learned Stotts' system and felt out his place alongside a roster of new teammates.

He was brought to Portland to be a leader. But that's challenging, if not impossible, to do when you're barely playing, so Henderson had to be patient and believe that his talent and voice eventually would surface. Sure enough, it came, right around the turn of the year. And just as he rediscovered himself, the Blazers, perhaps not coincidentally, started playing their best basketball of the season.

Months later, Henderson has emerged as an important voice in the locker room and during games, quick to speak up in timeouts and huddles, willing to nudge and even call out teammates on the court when things turn sideways. Lillard is the Blazers' unquestioned leader, but Henderson has evolved into one, too, only with a different style and demeanor.

"I'm a guy who's going to put my arm around you and I'm going to be like, 'You need to work, you need to get better, and I'm going to support you,'" Lillard said. "He's like, 'I don't care, this is what has to happen.' And you need guys like that around. He's earned guys' respect."

No one is safe from drawing Henderson's critiques, including Lillard, who more than once has heard from Henderson during a game. The most glaring example of Henderson's tough love came in a February win at Houston, when he yelled at Meyers Leonard for failing to set a screen, which squandered an offensive possession. Later that night, in the postgame locker room, Henderson sought Leonard out to rehash the play and get on the same page.

"He's done a good job of giving advice when he sees certain things, when advice is needed," Crabbe said. "He's one of the older guys on the team, so when he sees something, he steps up and talks about it."

Of course, Henderson's play has been important, too. Although he's averaging his fewest points (8.6) and minutes (19.6) since his rookie season, Henderson has been instrumental in the Blazers' ascension into a playoff contender. From his memorable gave-saving block against the Washington Wizards to his clutch fourth-quarter individual burst in Thursday's impressive comeback win over the Boston Celtics, Henderson -- who recorded 15 points, five rebounds and five assists against the Celtics -- has often played his best when it has mattered most.

He ranks second on the Blazers in bench scoring behind Crabbe, is shooting a career-best 36.4 percent from three-point range and has steadily improved all season. Since the All-Star break, he's averaging 10.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 47 percent from the field, and has reached double figures in scoring in 14 of the last 16 games.

But it isn't leadership or improved statistics that have drawn Davis' admiration. Davis knew Henderson was his kind of teammate when Henderson was recovering from his offseason surgery and struggling to find his place on a new team.

"You remember earlier in the year, when he wasn't really in the rotation and was barely playing?" Davis said. "He was still coming in every day working hard, being positive. That stuff, it rubs off. Other guys, they see it and they notice it and they pick up those good habits. I have nothing but respect for G from that end. He comes to work every day, he plays hard, he's going to do his job, he's going to score, he's going to be him every night. He's going to be tough. He'll take a hard foul. He'll do his little Duke stuff out there. But other than that, I can ride with G every day."

And Davis is hardly alone. Lillard and Henderson have grown close this season. Their lockers at the Moda Center and the practice facility are directly across from one other and it's commonplace, before and after practice, for them to sit across from each other talk basketball, share stories and shoot the breeze. Hours later, as they lounge at their respective homes watching NBA games, they'll text or call each other to rehash critical moments and big plays.

"We just connect on another level," Lillard said. "With me and G, we see things the same. The thing that I love about him most is just that he's a competitor. We've had enough situations this season when the game got tight, it was make-or-break and we would see who was going to rise up to the moment. He's been there every time."

Last month, when the Blazers narrowly avoided a meltdown during a win at New Orleans, Henderson was instrumental, recording 19 points and six rebounds and -- more importantly -- needling Lillard to give more, picking teammates up in huddles and timeouts, willing the Blazers to a win with a positive energy boost.

"I told him in our last game at New Orleans, I said, 'Man, I'm rolling with you seven days a week. You're a real soldier,'" Lillard said.

First-time father

But the soldier has been softened a bit this season. On Feb. 16 in Charlotte, Henderson became a father for the first time. His daughter, Zara, was born at the end of the All-Star break, weighing a tidy 5 pounds, 14 ounces.

"It's my first child," he said. "And it's something else, man. You never know what that birth room is like until you're actually in it. That was something crazy. Since then, I just want to see her every day. She's in Charlotte, so it's tough. But I'm face-timing, looking at pictures, watching videos 10 times a day."

Zara's arrival has changed Henderson's perspective on everything. And it's fair to wonder whether she'll factor into his free agency plans. Might he want to head back to the East Coast and be closer to his baby girl?

He acknowledges "that would be nice." But he also notes that it's too early to say for sure what his next career move will be.

The Blazers, thanks in no small part to Henderson's leadership and scoring off the bench, are on the verge of a surprise playoff berth. He's relishing what's left, savoring the final moments of what has been his most rewarding NBA season. And while his future is very much up in the air, he can't help but think about a return to Rip City.

"There's a lot of things I like about Portland," he said. "I enjoy coming into work every day. I love the people ... everybody's standup. There's nobody you run into and you're like, 'I don't really care for that person.' They do things the right way. It's about the players. You're taken care of. We have a great group that comes in here and works.

"We've done special things. And I think we can be even better next year."

Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com 503-294-5183 @BlazerFreeman