Prime Highlights:
- Chinese giant Hansen Yang selected 16th overall by Portland Trail Blazers with a shock first-round draft pick.
- Yang is the third-ever Chinese player to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Key Facts:
- The 7’1″ center averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game over two seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
- Projected initially to be a second-rounder, Yang was taken higher than anticipated, reflecting Portland’s lofty expectations regarding his future potential.
Key Background:
In a rebuke to the rules at the 2025 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Hansen Yang as their 16th overall selection, becoming the third Chinese player in the history of the first round to be so chosen. The 20-year-old center becomes a member of an elite club now that includes NBA greats Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian.
Portland surprised observers and insiders alike to move in from 11th to 16th, selecting Yang with the selection despite him being considered a late second-round prospect. ESPN had Yang at his best rated as 35th overall, which clearly shows the magnitude of how surprising this pick was. Portland management did sense Yang’s size, speed, and playmaking potential for the future .
Yang had two incredible years playing for the Qingdao Eagles of the CBA, displaying unbelievable ability given his age. Averaging almost a double-double on a nightly basis, he also averaged 2.4 blocks and was multiple All-Stars, a Defensive Player of the Year, and was twice nominated for All-CBA First Team awards. His passing skill has been compared to Nikola Jokic’s, but that is all conjecture at this point.
Critics complain that Portland already has its frontcourt clogged with Deandre Ayton and 2024 selection Donovan Clingan, and that Yang would have a shaky role there. But league sources said Yang had made a strong impression at Las Vegas and Portland camps, and that scouts had been watching him for several years.
Portland’s choice reflects a desire to gamble on high-ceiling international players. Although the pick has been controversial as well as raised some eyebrows, Yang’s selection is monumental for Chinese basketball and can cost teams a payoff if he is able to adjust physically as well as strategically in the NBA.
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