Chinese Rookie Yang Hansen Turning Heads for the Trail Blazers During Summer League

20-year-old center Yang Hansen, who hails from Shandong, China, is no stranger to basketball. He began training for a professional career in the sport in third grade and has been playing professionally since he was 17 years old. 

Hansen, who stands at 7-1, has been on NBA radars for several years, and he was considered to be a strong prospect for the early portion of the second round during the 2025 NBA Draft, especially after boosting his profile with a very strong showing at the NBA Combine this year. 

The Portland Trail Blazers shocked many in the league when they decided to select Hansen 16th overall, making him a near lottery pick. Detractors of the move said that Hansen's potential was limited because of the center's slow feet and lack of explosiveness. 

During the first few games of Summer League, Hansen has been showing off the skillset that Portland saw in him in the first place. Despite his huge size, Hansen has shown himself to be an excellent passer, delivering multiple highlight-film-level assists to his teammates. 

Having a center who can pass out of the pick and roll like the Chinese rookie can will help to open up the Blazers offense, allowing explosive players like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to get to the basket easier. The Blazers can also play a twin-towers-type lineup featuring both Hansen and Donovan Clingan. 

While the Blazers created intrigue and surprise by selecting Hansen so high in the first round, they look somewhat vindicated after his first few games. And that's not even considering how much better the 20-year-old  can get in the future.