Had the Portland Trail Blazers decided to stand pat with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they had several potential options available in that range, one of which was Maryland big man Derik Queen.
While it remains to be seen how high the Blazers had Queen on their big board, it at least seems more likely that they'd take him in retrospect after knowing they targeted the same position with the selection of Yang Hansen.
Blazers dodged a bullet by passing on Derik Queen
Both centers are high-risk, high-reward gambles with unique skill sets yet glaring red flags, giving them a wide range of outcomes at the next level.
For Hansen, the primary concern -- outside the obvious fact he was widely projected to be a second-round talent -- was how his game would translate from the CBA to a significantly more physical and competitive NBA.
With Queen, the question marks included his tweener status as an undersized big man who can't effectively space the floor. Compounding those concerns was his historically poor combine score, leaving many to wonder if he could effectively anchor a defense.
If summer league was any indication, the answer to that essential question -- one that determines whether Queen was worth the risk -- is an adamant no.
Defense separates Yang Hansen from Derik Queen
Draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic broke down how the 2025 draft class fared in summer league, and Queen's review was not favorable to put it gently. Vecenie said that Queen was "probably the worst defensive player I saw at summer league," calling him out for not running back in transition often.
To make matters somehow even worse, Queen is now set to be re-evaluated in roughly 11 weeks after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist.
Hansen doesn't come without his flaws, but he is precisely the type of upside Portland should be targeting just outside the lottery. The visions for Queen and Hansen are similar offensively. While Queen is more versatile offensively as a ballhandler, both centers are two of the best passing bigs in the class. Their ability to process the game and read the court makes them potential offensive hubs, which the Blazers could desperately use to unlock a new dimension in their stagnant offense and utilize their athleticism more.
But of the two, it's safe to say that the Blazers made the right call trading back to take Hansen. He still has his own areas for improvement defensively, but Hansen's physical tools and effort are two things you can't quite teach.
Going forward, it will separate him from Queen as a player, particularly on the defensive end, where Portland wants to forge its identity.