Latest news with #HansenYang
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jake Fischer reveals ‘Chinese Jokic' comp from Nuggets for surprise Blazers pick
The post Jake Fischer reveals 'Chinese Jokic' comp from Nuggets for surprise Blazers pick appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Portland Trail Blazers stunned the entire NBA world when they drafted Hansen Yang, the 7'2″ Chinese international, with the 16th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Yang was projected by most talent evaluators to go in the second round. Instead, the Blazers scooped him up nearly 30 spots before many thought he'd go — prompting a barrage of reactions. Advertisement For what it's worth, Yang put up pretty dominant stats in the Chinese Basketball Association in his two-year stint with the Qingdao Eagles. In 96 career games, the 20-year-old big man averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 56.9 percent from the field. He even flashed some three-point shooting ability, having made 23 of his 79 tries from beyond the arc. Still, Yang's mobility issues put quite a cap on his ceiling. While other executives cannot quite comprehend why the Blazers would make this pick, one person close to the Denver Nuggets texted 'Chinese Jokic' to The Stein Line's Jake Fischer regarding the 20-year-old international prospect. Comparing Yang to Jokic is preposterous, although little did everyone know back in 2014 that Jokic would end up blossoming into one of the greatest players of all-time for the Nuggets, winning three MVP awards and a title thus far in his career. And it's not like Jokic is done dominating the NBA, as he's only 30 years of age. Back in 2014, scouts had concerns regarding Jokic's defense, lack of agility and verticality, and they questioned his fitness levels — with Jokic still having a habit of downing cola soda bottles like they were water. But Jokic took his development seriously, and by the time his third season came around, he was a full-time starter who was already putting it together. Advertisement Alas, comparing anyone to Jokic is a fool's game. The most important thing for Yang is that he acclimates to the speed of the NBA game as soon as possible to make the Blazers look golden. Blazers get their man… but at a cost © Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Blazers could have drafted Yang in the second round, but they decided to get their man as soon as they could. They traded down from 11 to 16 (getting a 2028 first-round pick from the Memphis Grizzlies in the process) and did not want to let Yang slip away further. Only time will tell if the Blazers prove to be one step ahead of the competition. But the opportunity cost of reaching to get Yang instead of hoping he slips towards the end of the second round is too difficult to ignore. Related: Blazers stun NBA world with 7-foot-1 Chinese star after trade Related: Grizzlies land rising star Cedric Coward in No. 11 pick trade with Blazers
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grizzlies, Blazers trade grades for 2025 NBA Draft deal
The post Grizzlies, Blazers trade grades for 2025 NBA Draft deal appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 NBA Draft day brought forth a range of surprises. While nobody doubted Cooper Flagg would be selected by the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies rose as high as the No. 11 pick to select Washington State star Cedric Coward. Advertisement In order to do so, they initially traded their No. 16 pick, a 2028 first-round pick (via Orlando Magic), and two second-round picks to land their man. The Grizzlies were not done there, and they also took Javon Small with their No.48 pick and landed Jahmai Mashack with the No. 59 pick. On the other hand, the Portland Trail Blazers seemed content as well. They took on Chinese center Hansen Yang. General Manager Joe Cronin stated that the team had been tracking the Qingdao Eagles 'for years.' As we break down what both teams got out of this draft day trade, all eyes will be on Coward, who had initially commited to Duke for another year, but chose to remain in the draft pool. Grizzlies bet big on Cedric Coward The Grizzlies were always going to have a busy draft night. They had the No. 16, 48 and the 56 picks beforehand. However, they bet big on Cedric Coward and moved considerable assets to reach up to the No. 11 pick. Advertisement Coward is a versatile wing who played only six games for Washington State last year after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury at the start of the season. Through six games, he was averaging 17.7 points and seven rebounds per game. This was an improvement from his previous year's 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for Eastern Washington. Coward is a two-way player and an efficient scorer with a solid jumper. However, it might be his qualities on the defensive end that convinced Memphis. Cedric is a gritty defender with a 7 feet 2.25 inches wingspan and a standing reach of 8 feet 10.00 inches. An athletic presence in the vein of a Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies might already view him as a potential replacement for a player they only recently sent to Magic. That also makes him a potentially ideal fit alongside the likes of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson. However, while Memphis may develop him as a long-term star, his potential does not seem to explain the price they ended up paying. Advertisement The Grizzlies gave up a future first-round pick along with two second-rounders, which may in the future seem like a bad move. Alongside Coward, the Grizzlies also got combo guard Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack from the draft, two players who can be expected to act as rotational pieces immediately. Their draft strategy showed a commitment to surrounding their core with defensive-minded, versatile players. The Grizzlies clearly wanted to upgrade their perimeter length but may have given up too much to get there. Grade: B- Trail Blazers go for Hansen Yang, cash in on future picks Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports While the Grizzlies got what they wanted, it was not to say that the Trail Blazers were on the losing side of this deal. Their trade-down to the No. 16 pick got them multiple future picks. At the same time, they took on Hansen Yang, a player Joe Cronin claimed Portland had been scouting him since the under-18 level, per KGW8. Advertisement 'We've been scouting him deeply for almost two years now. We had a scout identify him during one of his under-18 events, and then we sent Mike (Schmitz) and Sergi (Oliva), our two assistant GMs, over to China that fall to scout him live,' Cronin said. Yang has played two seasons for the Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association. Last season, the 7-foot-1 center averaged 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while scoring at an overall 58.6%. Already a Chinese International, Yang led the CBA in blocks last season and was largely not expected to be a first-round pick. The 20-year-old was not among the 24 players invited to the draft's green room. He joins a crowded frontcourt that already boasts of Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, and Duop Reath. However, that may prove to be a blessing as he attempts to settle down in the NBA. Yang can easily prove to be a huge steal from the draft, something Portland will be hoping for. That, in addition to the second-round picks they got out of the deal means that the Trail Blazers might be better off after moving down to No. 16. Grade: A Related: Emotional reaction of Javon Small's grandpa to Grizzlies pick goes viral Related: Why Grizzlies see Giannis Antetokounmpo potential in Cedric Coward
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blazers stun NBA world with 7-foot-1 Chinese star after trade
The post Blazers stun NBA world with 7-foot-1 Chinese star after trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. After barely missing the play-in tournament with a 36-46 record, the Portland Trail Blazers were rewarded with another lottery pick, nabbing the 11th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. They then decided to trade out of the lottery altogether, dealing away that selection to the Memphis Grizzlies for the 16th pick, a 2028 first-round pick, and two second-rounders. And then in a shocking turn of events, the Blazers, despite already having four centers on the roster, decided to select 7'1″ Chinese star Hansen Yang with the pick they got from the Grizzlies. Advertisement Yang tore up the Chinese Basketball Association in his two seasons in the league. He averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks while shooting 56.9 percent from the field, and at just 20 years of age, he certainly had his merits as a draft prospect. Alas, no talent evaluator had him going off the board in the first round, making the Blazers' selection of him at pick 16 that big of a shock. In fact, one front office executive for an unnamed team texted ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel that the Blazers' pick of Yang is the 'wildest' he's ever seen and that pick alone should put the jobs of the executives responsible for the selection 'on the line'. It's not quite clear what the Blazers aim to achieve with the selection of Yang, and this early as well. It would have been a confounding pick already had they made it in the second round, considering how many centers they already have on the roster. But for them to use a first-round pick in the middle of the first round to select someone they could have drafted 20 picks later has the entire NBA world up in arms. Fans clown the Blazers for their confounding Hansen Yang selection © Brad Penner-Imagn Images In three years, the Blazers may have the last laugh regarding their confusing Yang selection. But for now, they have become the butt of the joke among NBA fans who couldn't comprehend why they would make this pick. Advertisement 'Blazers got 3 Centers now what are they doing 😭 Ayton Clingan and Yang,' X user @EdeyMuse wrote. 'The Blazers won a couple extra games in the second half of the season… for a Yang Hansen. Let that sink in,' @JoeFisch3 added. 'Drafting Hansen Yang at 16th just solved NBA's low viewership problem,' @zyjohnw posted in jest. Yang is a Klutch Sports client, and perhaps that played a part in him being drafted way earlier than nearly everyone expected. 'Klutch sports got Hansen Yang drafted top 16,' @MVPnuby asserted. 'Klutch made Hansen Yang more than 10 million dollars by getting him picked 16th,' @mrcmon added. Related: Jake Fischer reveals 'Chinese Jokic' comp from Nuggets for surprise Blazers pick Related: Grizzlies land rising star Cedric Coward in No. 11 pick trade with Blazers
New York Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft full of twists and turns with surprising trades
BROOKLYN — Midway into the first round of Wednesday's NBA Draft, a slick-dressed fan shot out of his seat. Draped in heavenly garb — a white suit jacket over a white buttoned shirt with white pants dangling over his white shoes — he swung a celebratory, never-ending arm into the air as if the teacher had just called on him to present in front of the class. He trekked out of the stands at Barclays Center for a career-changing handshake. Advertisement Hansen Yang, the 19-year-old center who wasn't even invited to the greenroom Wednesday, had just heard commissioner Adam Silver announce news he never expected. The Portland Trail Blazers had traded for the No. 16 pick and drafted him. The move was the biggest surprise of an evening filled with more shock from trades than from draft picks. Yang was the biggest one — literally and figuratively. He is a broad, 7-foot-1 teenager who is known for his passing skills. He already has pro experience, most recently playing for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association. He's so tall with limbs so long that when he stretches his arms above his head, as he did in the moments after Silver announced his selection, his fingertips reach only 9 inches below the rim. The Blazers had traded down from No. 16 with Yang in mind. After selecting Washington State's Cedric Coward at No. 11, they agreed to flip him to the Memphis Grizzlies for an unprotected 2028 first-rounder (via the Orlando Magic), two second-rounders and Wednesday's 16th pick, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. Yang said he didn't see it coming. 'At the end of the day, this was beyond (my) wildest imagination,' he said via his interpreter, shortly after emerging from the stands in sartorial excellence. The complete draft board for the 1st round of the 2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm! Which pick is your favorite? 🤔 2nd Round: Thursday, 8pm/et, ESPN — NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025 Yang met with the Blazers a month ago, he explained, and got along well with management. He attended the draft as a fan, expecting to go at the end of the first round, not the middle of it. Many of the mock drafts were even lower on him, projecting Yang to go somewhere in the second round. Getting picked 16th was 'a big surprise,' he said. Advertisement It wasn't the only one. A couple of trades took the league by surprise, one surrounding a player already in the NBA and another surrounding one who won't be in the league until next season at the soonest. Early in the night, the Charlotte Hornets agreed to trade fourth-year center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for a package that will include the No. 29 pick, a 2029 first-rounder and Vasilije Micić, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. Williams is only months removed from an almost-trade to the Los Angeles Lakers that occurred just before this past season's deadline. The Lakers and Hornets agreed to a deal, but Williams failed his physical, undoing the would-be trade and awkwardly sending Williams back to Charlotte for the rest of the season. The Suns had been on the prowl for a center, cycling through Jusuf Nurkić, Mason Plumlee, Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro in 2024-25. Wednesday, they acquired two five-men — Williams and Duke's Khaman Maluach, whom they drafted with the No. 10 pick, which they acquired from the Houston Rockets in the recent trade for former MVP Kevin Durant. Another shocker of a move involved only draft picks. The New Orleans Pelicans opted to move up 10 slots and took a large risk to do so. Midway into Wednesday evening, they acquired the No. 13 selection from the Atlanta Hawks for No. 23 and a 2026 first-rounder that has a chance to be juicy — the better of the Pelicans' or Milwaukee Bucks' selection that season, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. New Orleans won only 21 games during an injury-riddled 2024-25. Meanwhile, an aging Milwaukee squad is without All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, who tore his Achilles this spring, for most or all of next season. New Orleans nabbed Maryland's Derik Queen with the 13th pick. Atlanta took Georgia's Asa Newell 23rd. Advertisement If Yang made the surprise jump of the night, Michigan's Danny Wolf suffered the surprise fall. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie predicted the 6-foot-11 big man to go 17th in his most recent mock draft. He ended up falling to 27th, when the Brooklyn Nets took him. The evening kicked off as expected with the Dallas Mavericks selecting Duke's Cooper Flagg first. Rutgers' Dylan Harper followed. He will head to the San Antonio Spurs, the home of the past two rookies of the year: Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. The Philadelphia 76ers chose Baylor's V.J. Edgecombe at No. 3, when the story wasn't the player selected but the team that did it. Philadelphia canvassed the league, searching for ways it could trade down from the third pick leading into the draft, league sources told The Athletic. Come Wednesday evening, it couldn't find a worthwhile deal and chose the explosive 6-foot-4 guard. Edgecombe will join second-year scorer Jared McCain and All-Star spark plug Tyrese Maxey in the Philadelphia Sixers' backcourt. The Hornets took Duke's Kon Knueppel at No. 4. That's when the first unexpected draft pick occurred; the Utah Jazz scooped up Rutgers' Ace Bailey, who famously forwent pre-draft workouts for the top teams, including Utah. Bailey, a dynamic scorer, said he had 'no idea' the Jazz were interested in him but displayed an intricate knowledge of the state that was about to become his new home. 'I don't know a lot (about Utah), but I'm learning,' he said. 'I know it gets cold and hot up there.' The Washington Wizards, the organization many speculated could end up with Bailey, selected Texas' Tre Johnson sixth. Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears went seventh to the Pelicans. BYU wing Egor Demin came off the board next, heading to the Brooklyn Nets. The Toronto Raptors took South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles ninth before the Suns rounded out the top 10 with Maluach. Advertisement By midway through the first round, trades began to fly. The Blazers and Grizzlies swapped Nos. 11 and 16. The Pelicans and Hawks did the same for Nos. 13 and 23. The Wizards reportedly sent the No. 18 pick, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., to the Utah Jazz for No. 21 (Illinois' Will Riley), the No. 43 pick in this year's draft and two future second-rounders. The Sacramento Kings reportedly acquired the No. 24 pick, Colorado State's Nique Clifford, from the Oklahoma City Thunder for a future first-rounder. For the second time, the NBA will hold the two rounds of the draft on separate days. The event will continue with the second round Thursday night.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Yang Hansen? Meet the NBA Draft's biggest surprise (so far)
The scene when Hansen Yang got shoutout to @Barlowe500 @DraftJunkyJames. The only guys I saw talking about him forever ago. The Portland Trail Blazers gave fans one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 NBA Draft by selecting center Yang Hansen with the 16th overall pick via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. Hansen wasn't expected to go this high in the NBA Draft, as the 7-foot-2 center will join an upstart Trail Blazers team. NBA Draft 2025 live first-round grades for every pick The 20-year-old Hansen played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association from 2023 to this year. He was a two-time CBA All-Star and earned the Rookie of the Year honor during his first season. He averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his two season with the Eagles. Now, he'll join a Portland team that may be getting, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer via a source with the Denver Nuggets, the "Chinese [Nikola] Jokić." That would be a huge win for a Portland team wanting to get back to the NBA playoffs.
