Why Yang Hansen Trade Has Become More Likely For Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers traded up in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Chinese center Yang Hansen with the No. 16 overall pick, but his time in Rip City may be short-lived.

Yang's rookie season did not go as many had hoped, averaging just 2.2 points per game while shooting 31 percent from the floor in 43 appearances with the Blazers. The 20-year-old spent the year adjusting to the NBA, but he did not show enough to warrant him becoming a key member of the franchise's future.

On top of that, there are other factors that could lead the Blazers to part ways with Yang after just one season in the league.

His Biggest Supporter, Mike Schmitz, is With the Mavericks

Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen was the apple of Mike Schmitz's eye when he was the team's assistant GM. — Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen greets fans as he walks toward the court. | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Schmitz was widely reported as the biggest advocate for Yang's fit in Portland, valuing his high-post playmaking and point-center potential over traditional athleticism. Without Schmitz in the room during draft meetings and roster evaluations, Yang’s development becomes a legacy project rather than a current priority.

In the NBA, a young player's leash is often only as long as the executive who drafted them is willing to provide, and with Schmitz gone, the Blazers' front office may be less inclined to wait out a multi-year developmental curve.

Donovan Clingan's Ascension

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan against the Phoenix Suns. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Clingan’s rapid integration into the rotation has fundamentally changed the math for Portland’s frontcourt. While Yang was drafted as a high-upside project, Clingan has already demonstrated that he can be the anchor for their defensive identity and the team's starting center of the future.

Clingan’s ability to anchor a defense while showing flashes of high-level passing means he effectively occupies the passing big man niche Yang was meant to fill, but with a significantly more NBA-ready frame and defensive floor.

As Clingan solidifies himself as the center of the future, the minutes required to let Yang develop in the NBA have simply vanished.

The Blazers' Current Timeline Doesn't Align

Damian Lillard welcomes his teammates to the starting line up before the Trail Blazers play against the Brooklyn Nets. | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

The Blazers are caught in a delicate balancing act between a youth movement and the need to establish a winning culture. While the roster is young, the franchise is looking for players who can compete alongside cornerstones like Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard.

Yang represents a timeline that is perhaps two to three years behind the rest of the core. With the next two seasons likely being years where the Blazers look to jump into contention, they may prefer to use that roster spot on a veteran presence or a prospect whose physical tools allow them to contribute immediately.

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