NBA Draft’s Biggest Heist: Portland Grabs Elite Passing Center Hansen Yang at 16

By: Donovan Martin Sr- Editor in Chief

The Portland Trail Blazers may have just pulled off the biggest steal of the 2025 NBA Draft — and they did it without fanfare, without headlines, and without their pick even being in the Green Room. With the 16th overall selection, Portland selected 7’1” Chinese center Hansen Yang — a name unfamiliar to casual fans, but well-known to those who understand just how global basketball has become.

Born on June 26, 2005, in Zibo, Shandong Province, Yang’s journey didn’t begin in an American prep school or on the EuroLeague circuit. It started in elementary school, where he joined a basketball club in third grade before training at the Zibo Sports School. By 2020, he had entered the youth development program of the Qingdao Guoxin Haitian Club — the same club that would shape his path to professional basketball stardom in China’s CBA.

His breakout came early. In 2021, Yang led Qingdao’s youth team to the U17 National Championship, taking home the title of Best Defensive Player. In 2022, not only did his squad repeat as champions, but Yang was crowned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player — the kind of back-to-back dominance that should have caught everyone’s attention.

During the 2023–24 CBA season, Yang was promoted to the Qingdao Eagles’ first team. On October 23, 2023, he made his professional debut against Beijing Enterprises. It didn’t take long for the basketball world to notice. His first season was a statement — 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game — and he earned both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was even named a starter in the All-Star Game for the North Division. NBA scouts took notice, visiting Qingdao multiple times throughout the season to watch him develop.

Despite the buzz, Yang chose to sit out the 2024 NBA Draft — a move that only built more intrigue around him heading into 2025. While most mock drafts barely had him in the second round, Portland’s front office clearly saw something others missed. And when they called his name at pick 16, Hansen Yang became the biggest “Where did that come from?” moment of the night.

But if you know the game — really know it — the pick makes perfect sense. Yang is already being hailed as the best passing big man in the draft. He plays with a calm, methodical pace that mirrors Denver Nuggets superstar and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. The nickname “Baby Jokić” isn’t just flattery — it’s a glimpse into the way Yang processes the floor. He’s a cerebral, unselfish center who sees plays two steps ahead, delivers bounce passes from the high post, and orchestrates offense like a point guard in a 7-foot frame.

Portland is building something, and Yang fits the blueprint. Yes, they now have four centers on the roster, but that’s not a liability — it’s leverage. They can move pieces to create space, or keep all four and develop Yang slowly without throwing him into the fire. Either way, it signals a willingness to think long-term, to go against the grain, and to build around IQ, not just athleticism.

The selection also has major global implications. China remains one of the largest basketball markets in the world, and Yang is now the highest-drafted Chinese player since Yao Ming — who went No. 1 overall in 2002 and later became a Hall of Famer. That’s no small shadow to walk under, but Yang’s path is different. He didn’t dominate through size alone. He earned his accolades with footwork, vision, and an all-around game that feels tailor-made for today’s NBA.

Portland saw through the noise. They looked past the hype cycle that surrounds college blue-chippers and unearthed a diamond many others had buried under analytics and assumptions. The scouts saw him. The execs saw him. The Blazers believed in him.

And when the history of this draft is written five years from now, Hansen Yang’s name might sit near the top — not as a surprise, but as the moment where Portland outsmarted the rest of the league.

Let the league sleep on him — Portland won’t.