The Portland Trail Blazers entered the 2025 NBA Draft with the No. 11 overall pick and decided to trade back with the Memphis Grizzlies at pick No. 16. It was all a part of general manager Joe Cronin's bold plan to land center Yang Hansen, a widely projected second-round pick.
Cronin wanted to maximize as much value as possible without trading too far back to the point where he risked the possibility of Hansen being off the table. In retrospect, Portland was cutting it closer than expected, as Hansen had a promise from the Brooklyn Nets with the No. 19 selection.
Credit to the Blazers' front office for identifying Hansen's talent early on and strategically maneuvering to land the player they wanted all along. However, there was still a better draft-day option that the Blazers left on the table.
Blazers missed out on Pelicans' draft-day blunder
The New Orleans Pelicans traded away the No. 23 overall pick (Asa Newell) and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (most favorable of New Orleans and Milwaukee) to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick (Derik Queen).
The Pelicans are coming off a 21-win season and are long shots to make the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference. The fact that there are no protections for that pick is absolutely wild and front office malpractice. Portland, picking two spots ahead of Atlanta, should have capitalized on New Orleans' incompetence.
The silver lining is that Portland's rebuild is still in good shape, despite missing out on this opportunity. Their trades, in particular, have set them up well for long-term success as Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija have emerged as key building blocks. Hansen also has a high ceiling, justifying the No. 16 overall pick.
Summer League is a minimal sample size against varying levels of competition, but early returns on Portland's unconventional selection are extremely promising. In those four games, Hansen averaged a well-rounded 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 blocks. If he becomes a "Chinese Jokic" in terms of being an offensive hub to improve a mediocre Blazers offense, no one will remember the opportunity cost associated with the selection.
The Blazers still managed to get an additional first-round pick (via Orlando) by trading back with the Grizzlies. Still, one can't help but wonder if Portland's rebuild would have been even better off with the Pelicans' unprotected pick. We'll have more clarity on whether or not passing up on this opportunity to draft Hansen was a mistake by next summer.