Trail Blazers’ Hansen Yang was Biggest Swing of 2025 Draft

At the 2025 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers shocked other teams — and more than likely the world — in selecting Chinese big man Hansen Yang at No. 16.

A now-20-year-old center hailing from Qingdao of the CBA, Yang wasn’t projected by many to go in the first round. And if he was, it was almost always near the end. In selecting the 7-foot-2 phenom in the middle, the Trail Blazers threw a wrench in plenty of team’s drafts, for better or worse.

The Trail Blazers started the night with the No. 11 pick, trading back to No. 16 and grabbing some decent assets along the way. While they likely could’ve stood to move back even further for Yang, they didn’t want to take another risk, and ultimately just selected their guy.

The move is a respectable one for Portland, no matter how it ends. They took the biggest risk of the night, either selecting a future star in the front court, or a player who could struggle to integrate himself into the NBA.

Yang has a unique style, drawing comparisons to a certain Serbian NBA champion and MVP. In the CBA, he was able to pour on 16.6 points and 10.6 rebounds, posting 3.0 assists and 2.6 blocks in the process. While his turnovers numbers were high at three per game, his feel passing and play-making is certainly there on tape. Yang also shot just 59% from the field, a strong but not elite number for a player who will see much tougher defense in the years to come.

Regardless, Portland has to feel they’ve identified a true star. Their reaching for Yang, as well as the fact they swung on a 7-footer in last year’s draft, spells out they have big plans for the No. 16 overall pick.

“This is a very, very unique talent, in our opinion,” said Trail Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin. “High, high-end skillset, his ability to pass, his basketball IQ, his functionality in the post. His ability to step out. We think he’ll be a good free-throw shooter, we think he’ll make perimeter jump shots as well.”

There’s little question it will take Yang time to iron out his flaws in the coming years. While he looked the part in NBA combine scrimmages, his conditioning certainly could’ve used a boost.

Regardless, it will take a multi-year project for the Trail Blazers to help Yang to positive impact. But one that could pay massive dividends if gone about correctly.