Blazers Hit With Low Draft Grade for Surprising Pick

The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Yang Hansen out of China with the No. 16 overall selection, a draft pick that is getting backlash from NBA analysts.

Hansen was projected to go at the earliest late in the first round and more likely in the second round, but Portland was clearly enamored with the seven-footer enough to take him earlier.

The Blazers held the 11th pick in the draft heading into Wednesday, but they ended up trading down to 16th after agreeing a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis gave up No. 16, a first-rounder in 2028 and two second-round picks to get No. 11. They ended up taking promising forward Cedric Coward.

The Blazers, meanwhile, took Hansen after the trade, which left NBA writer Andy Bailey conflicted about the team's overall draft night.

Bailey gave Portland a C+ for the draft overall:

"The Portland Trail Blazers get some credit for being aggressive and taking Yang Hansen 10-20 spots higher than he was expected to go," Bailey wrote in an article.

"Plus, extracting a pretty heavy price for Cedric Coward from Memphis (the pick that became Hansen, another first in 2028 and two seconds) could end up being a clear win.

"But about that Hansen pick. Unless the Blazers had pretty strong intel that someone in the late teens or 20s was going to intercept him (which is possible), grabbing him at No. 16 was, to put it mildly, bold.

"The 20-year-old has put up respectable numbers in China over the last two seasons, but there's no guarantee he'll adapt to the speed and size of the NBA game.

"And by most accounts, Portland should have had a chance to take him later.

"Over those two seasons, he was solid, averaging 33.1 minutes per game and putting up 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game."

Hansen gets a chance to prove his doubters wrong during NBA Summer League where rookies are given the platform to shine before their NBA regular season debuts.

More Portland Trail Blazers news: Matisse Thybulle Makes Major Decision on Trail Blazers Future

Report: Blazers Have Held Trade Conversations on Robert Williams With One Team

Former Blazers Star CJ McCollum Traded to Wizards in Blockbuster Deal

Oregon Has Issued Resolution to Keep Blazers in Portland Amid Sale

Blazers Send Anfernee Simmons to Celtics for Jrue Holiday in Blockbuster Trade

Blazers Linked to Perfect Robert Williams III Replacement

For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.