The Portland Trail Blazers shocked the NBA when they chose 7-foot-2 Chinese center Yang Hansen with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
But so far, so good. It might very well work out just fine.
"In his first moments under the lights, his skill level impressed rival coaches and executives, particularly with his passing," ESPN's Tim Bontemps writes. "He's going to be a project, but it didn't take long to see why Portland was interested in him."
The big fella has been magical in moments of Summer League on offense, delivering backdoor dimes and also showing he can throw it down at the rim.
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He's also quickly become a favorite of the media covering the Blazers, showing off a sense of humor and a presence about him that feels like a veteran who knows just the right thing to say.
Bontemps goes on to write that it's not yet clear how Hansen will co-exist with Donovan Clingan, the incumbent young center in Portland.
But if the rookie keeps playing like this, it'll be a good problem to have for the Trail Blazers.
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