For better or worse, the Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the most surprising teams in the league over the past few months. The chaos all started when they decided to select Yang Hansen, a projected second-rounder, with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Portland traded back with the Memphis Grizzlies, who took Cedric Coward at pick No. 11.
Early on, Coward is justifying that decision for Memphis. In fact, he just finished with a game-high 27 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists while shooting 9-of-13 from the field and connecting on all six of his three-point attempts.
This is not to say that Portland should already regret this decision, as it's too early to definitively declare a winner and loser of this deal. However, it should make the Blazers' front office second-guess which side they fall on.
Coward's start leaves Portland wondering if Hansen was worth the risk
It's impossible to compare the two prospects as Coward and Hansen are on entirely different career trajectories. Coward is 22 years old with a four-year collegiate career (including time spent at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon). Meanwhile, Hansen is 20 years old and still adjusting to life in the United States; nonetheless, anything NBA related. He just recently passed his driving test!
This offseason, the Blazers emphasized that they don't view Hansen as a project-type player and expect him to make an immediate impact. While he's already proven capable of holding his own against NBA-level competition due to his size, passing, and overall feel for the game, it's always been apparent that this is a long-term investment. Despite Robert Williams III's absence, Hansen has averaged just two points and one rebound in 6.5 minutes per game.
We certainly don't mind the gamble as Portland needs to swing for the fences in the draft in order to find its missing star, but that's precisely what it is: a gamble.
The truth is, no one quite knows what Hansen is yet. Is he the next unicorn that breaks basketball with his unique skill set that few centers in the league possess? Or is the speed of the modern NBA too much for him coming over from the CBA?
In all likelihood, Hansen's career will fall somewhere in between those two extremes. But what that finished product looks like remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Coward already looks like a surefire asset just a few games into his career.
For a Blazers team in dire need of shooting, they have to be wondering if they made the correct decision right about now. Time will tell if Portland's Hansen gamble pays off, or if they should've played it safe with Coward.