The Portland Trail Blazers made arguably the most surprising pick in the entire draft when they selected Chinese center Yang Hansen with the 16th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Hansen was a projected second-round pick according to many analysts and scouts, but he worked his way up the draft boards after an impressive workout with the Trail Blazers and draft combine showing. Despite that, many site experts still aren't the biggest fans of this selection by Portland.
No. 16 Yang Hansen
ESPN: "Hansen might become an All-Star. He could lead the Blazers into championship contention. What we do know is that other teams didn't value Hansen as much as Portland, meaning the team is betting on its ability to beat the market. To the Blazers' credit, they picked up an extra first-round pick by moving down. But they would have been far better off making the same trade the Hawks did, if it were available."
The Athletic: "I’m sorry … WHAT???!?!?!?! Nobody had Yang as a first-rounder. Literally nobody. He’s big and fairly skilled, and I think he’s potentially a solid backup because of his offense, but this is a serious reach by the Blazers on a player most expected to last well into the second round. (Memphis made this pick, technically, but as noted above, the Grizzlies swapped spots 11 and 16 with Portland). The Blazers already had a surfeit of centers with Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, and 2024 lottery pick Donovan Clingan, so it’s not even clear what Yang’s pathway is to minutes in Portland. I do not get this at all."
Yahoo Sports: "This is the biggest shock of the draft so far. WOW. It's a fascinating pick from a fit standpoint: What does a Donovan Clingan/Hansen Yang frontcourt look like in Portland? Or are we gonna see a trade down with the Nets? Yang is a massive Chinese 7-footer who scores with old-school craft, passes well and cleans the glass. But how much his slow feet and lack of shooting range can be improved will determine whether he can stick in the pros."
NBC Sports: "The biggest head-scratcher in this draft. It’s not that the 7'1" big bodied center from China doesn’t have some skills, he is a terrific passer and shot better at the NBA Draft Combine than expected. However, most teams had him as a second-round pick, maybe a draft-and-stash player, because he’s not an explosive (or even average) NBA-level athlete, not stronger than his NBA competition, not a great defender when outside the paint, and he’s mostly been a post-up scorer in China, something that will not fly in the NBA. Perhaps he will develop into an NBA rotation player, but in the short term, there is a lot of work to be done to get him there. Can the Trail Blazers pull that off?"
CBS Sports: "He's 19 years old and averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds with three blocks and three assists in the CBA in China. This is higher than anyone projected him to be drafted. This is a swing of epic proportions and comes on the heels of the Blazers drafting Donovan Clingan. Perplexing. Can those guys play together? We've had some surprises tonight. This is the biggest surprise bar none. If it hits, they'll be smarter than everyone."
Sports Illustrated: "This was a legitimate shocker, with Portland taking a projected second-rounder in Yang all the way up at No. 16. Yang was impressive at the NBA draft combine with his size, touch around the rim, and passing ability, but questions remain about his mobility and foot speed, especially on defense. Portland did invest significant resources in scouting Yang, so this isn’t out of left field … but from a value standpoint, this isn’t a great pick.