Blazers May Have a Yang Hansen Problem

The Portland Trail Blazers traded for the No. 16 overall pick to select China's Yang Hansen in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen reacts after traveling against the Sacramento Kings. | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to get rookie center Yang Hansen familiar with the NBA game.

Yang showcased his potential in the final two years of his Chinese Basketball Association career with the Qingdao Eagles, becoming an All-Star in 2024 and 2025. He averaged 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game across two seasons in Qingdao, which led to him becoming the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

While Yang has a ton of potential, he has been stashed in the G League with the Rip City Remix for most of the season, which has limited his playing time with the Blazers. NBA Draft On SI writer Derek Parker believes Yang should get more minutes moving forward.

"Portland shocked most when they jumped up to No. 16 to nab Yang Hansen on draft night, obviously valuing the bigs ball-skill enough to warrant a slight reach. While he’s played in a good chunk of games at 32 on the season, he’s averaged just 7.7 minutes per, shooting 29% overall," Parker wrote.

"Hansen is a known project, and seemingly isn’t ready for NBA minutes. But he’s had enough burn that he likely wouldn’t be completely thrown into the fire should he be given more.

"Portland is currently No. 9 seed in the West and in Play-In range. While they could certainly push to make the postseason, opting for better draft picks might be the better option. And giving Hansen the leash to make mistakes down the stretch could pay dividends down the road."

Feb 7, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen comes down with a rebound against Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Yang Hansen Might Not Be Right Fit For Blazers

When the Blazers took Yang in the first round of last year's draft, many were confused because the team had just selected UConn center Donovan Clingan in the year before with the number seven overall pick. Clingan showed flashes in his rookie season, and he has gotten even better in his second year with the team.

Clingan looks like someone that could be the center of the future for the team, which leaves Yang's role up in the air. Yang was compared to Nikola Jokic in the pre-draft process, but he hasn't gotten much of an opportunity to show that.

In the years to come, Yang should improve if he stays healthy, but he needs the minutes, opportunity and right system to fit his specific needs. The Blazers may not be able to achieve that, but they need to at least give him a shot before moving on from him. That could be difficult given Clingan's rise and his lack of opportunity so far.

Yang's first season was always going to have him stashed in the G League, but with the Blazers on an upward trajectory, they may not have the time and resources to give the Chinese rookie those exploratory minutes.