It's Yang Hansen's Time to Shine in Las Vegas Summer League

Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen is going into his second NBA season, which starts with being the focal point at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Yang Hansen reacts during warm ups before the Trail Blazers play against the LA Clippers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Portland Trail Blazers didn't use a draft pick this year, which means there's more room and time to develop 2025 first-round selection Yang Hansen.

The Blazers still have two-way players Chris Youngblood and Jayson Kent, but Yang is the key player for Portland to watch when the team tips off at the Las Vegas Summer League on Friday against the Phoenix Suns at 8 p.m. PT.

Summer League is All About Yang Hansen

Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen reacts after scoring against the Brooklyn Nets. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yang only played in 43 games for the Blazers during his rookie year, averaging 2.2 points per game. The No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft came into the league with a lot of fanfare, as some people described him as the "Chinese Nikola Jokic."

However, Yang needs a lot of development in order to get close to those heavy shoes to fill. Summer League provides the perfect opportunity for Yang to showcase what he's learned and improve along the way.

Yang averaged 16.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during his stint with the Rip City Remix, which is Portland's G League affiliate. In one of his best games in the G League, Yang scored 31 points in March against the San Diego Clippers.

This offers a sign that Yang could be the Blazers' offensive hub in Summer League. He has the tools to be strong on offense, but he has to work on his defense in order to prove to Portland that he can stick around in the league.

The Clock is Ticking For Yang Hansen

Yang has up to three years left on his rookie deal with the Blazers, assuming they pick up his team options for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 campaigns. However, the structure of the deal gives Portland a chance to walk away from the deal at the end of this season if they aren't satisfied with his progress.

This means Yang has to show positive growth in order for Portland to keep him moving forward.

The Blazers just re-signed Robert Williams III to a three-year deal and Donovan Clingan looks like he could be the team's long-term big man. This hurts Yang's track to the rotation, so the pressure is on for him to prove to Portland's new coaching staff, led by Micah Nori, that he is someone worth investing in for the long haul.

It starts with Summer League, which will set the foundation for a transformative offseason.