The 2025-2026 NBA All-Rookie teams were announced on Wednesday. Here were the results:
- First Team: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Cedric Coward
- Second Team: Ace Bailey, Jeremiah Fears, Collin Murray-Boyles, Maxime Raynaud, Derik Queen
For the Portland Trail Blazers, the immediate takeaway is that the First Team consists of the top four draft picks and the No. 11 overall selection, Cedric Coward.
As the playoffs revealed, Portland is a team that needs to continue adding to its young core. Having a First Team All-Rookie certainly would've helped. That is, had they not made the bold decision to trade back with the Memphis Grizzlies on draft day.
Cedric Coward continues to make Blazers regret ever trading him
In a vacuum, trading back a few spots to pick up a 2028 first-round pick (via Orlando) is good value. The issue lies in what Portland's plans were after they acquired the No. 16 overall selection from Memphis, taking a high-risk gamble on Yang Hansen -- a widely projected second-round prospect.
It was a heavily criticized decision at the time. And while it's too early to declare Hansen a bust as he remains a multi-year project, early returns on the decision are... not great, to put it gently.
Part of that was to be expected. Coward was one of the more NBA-ready prospects, while Hansen still had quite the learning curve, putting their careers on two different trajectories. But this latest honor for Coward has to sting Blazers fans; it signals how far Hansen has to go to catch up and for Portland to come out the winner in this decision.
The one thing the Blazers have going for them is the direction the league is heading. Portland's rebuild has been somewhat unconventional, but that also means they could be ahead of the curve as a team prioritizing positional size and skill.
Not to mention, all the top five players in the world -- Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic (yes, in that order) -- are currently international. Hansen adds to that trend for a Blazers team that has one of the most international rosters in the league.
Players like Jokic and Doncic, in particular, are the best examples of how the league is redefining upside. There's a reason Cameron Boozer is projected to go ahead of Caleb Wilson in this year's draft. He may not have the athleticism, but he has the skill set and basketball IQ, which are the new markers of a player's true ceiling.
Nobody expected Jokic to become anything close to what he is when he was selected No. 41 overall in 2014, hilariously during a Taco Bell commercial. Portland is hoping Hansen follows a similar path to stardom in the league, but they are taking a much higher risk given the mid-first-round selection.
It's not just the possibility of wasting the pick; it's the opportunity cost associated with who they passed on in a stacked draft class. Coward was the obvious safer play. A seamless fit on the wing and as someone who can immediately contribute with a 3-and-D skillset -- arguably the most valuable player archetype in the league.
Two areas Portland still needs to address this summer are shooting and wing depth. Meanwhile, their center depth somehow remains a question mark despite investing consecutive first-round picks at the position. The Blazers have to keep Robert Williams III around out of necessity rather than luxury, which is a lot to rely on given his extensive injury history.
Hopefully, this Hansen gamble works out for Portland, and it's too early to say definitively that they made the wrong decision by passing on Coward. But early on, it sure looks that way.
Portland is inconveniencing its entire rebuild with this Hansen investment that shocked the world. And they officially traded away a First Team All-Rookie in a loaded draft.
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