"That is the wildest pick I've ever seen. Those jobs up there are on the line."
That's what one NBA front office member told ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel after the Portland Trail Blazers shocked the world by taking Yang Hansen with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
It's a small sample size of 19 games played for Hansen, but early returns suggest that Portland's front office should be regretting this bold draft day decision. In that limited stretch, he's averaging 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds, shooting a concerning 28.8% from the field and 13.6% from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately, Hansen is just as lost offensively as defensively. Offensively, his high basketball IQ and passing aren't translating in the limited role, as Portland can't comfortably put the ball in his hands. Defensively, he's the definition of BBQ chicken as teams constantly look to exploit their quickness advantage out on the perimeter when he's on the court.
Blazers rookie Yang Hansen is trending towards bust status
Hansen is an awesome kid with an unselfish, hilarious, and contagious personality. We want nothing more than the Blazers to be ahead of the curve on this pick. It's also important to remember that he's just 20 years old with a steeper learning curve than just about any rookie in the class as he adjusts to both the NBA and the United States.
That's a lot to take in at once, and in retrospect, the hype surrounding the shocking first-round pick may have placed unrealistic pressure and expectations on Hansen. He still has plenty of time to prove his doubters wrong. The Blazers front office clearly believed in him enough to put their jobs on the line, and they will give him the benefit of the doubt in terms of being patient with his development.
But with new owner Tom Dundon set to take over in 2026, are we sure they're going to be around to see this pick through? Dundon shook up the NHL Carolina Hurricanes front office after taking over, and Cronin certainly isn't making a strong case to stick around with this being the latest pick on his resume.
There was a reason Hansen was widely projected as a second-round pick, and everything scouts saw in their evaluation process has translated to the NBA, for better or worse. He's exactly what teams expected as a prospect, and the speed of the NBA is proving to be too much, in particular.
Many questioned the Blazers' decision to draft another center after hitting on Donovan Clingan the year prior. That wasn't really the issue. Portland could afford to have another frontcourt piece. Deandre Ayton was bought out shortly after, Duop Reath is essentially unplayable, and Robert Williams' future remains murky given his expiring contract, trade rumors, and injury history.
But what did the Blazers see in Hansen that they didn't see in someone like Derik Queen, who they could've had at No. 11 had they stood pat? They appeared to have overanalyzed this decision, taking on an unnecessary risk.
While we don't want to officially declare Hansen a bust this early on in his young career, it's unfortunately trending that way. This pick is proving to be more risk than reward, and question marks still remain in the frontcourt Portland invested so heavily in.