Zach Harper of The Athletic recently ranked the top 40 big men in the NBA. Rookie Yang Hansen came in at No. 25, proving that the Portland Trail Blazers landed an absolute steal when they "reached" for Hansen with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
"Yes, I'm already buying the Hansen hype. No, I don't care if it takes a little bit for him to realize it. I'm going all in, and I believe he's a top-25 big man right away with his skill and size," Harper wrote.
Yang Hansen's top-25 ranking proves Blazers landed steal of the draft
Hansen ranked ahead of former Blazers starter Deandre Ayton, who came in at No. 30. "I'm still not certain Ayton will be someone JJ Redick likes coaching," Harper added.
Although these rankings are subjective, they further confirm that general manager Joe Cronin made the right decision to buy out Ayton, clearing the path for their up-and-coming frontcourt of Hansen and Donovan Clingan.
Surprisingly, Harper doesn't have Clingan ranked inside the top 40. Clingan's fellow All-Rookie Team members Alex Sarr, Yves Missi, and Zach Edey made the cut. Blazers bias aside, we think Clingan should be firmly in the mix as a starting-caliber center.
Clingan was already an elite defensive anchor as a rookie. According to Crafted NBA, he finished the season as a top ten rim protector. His per-36 numbers also jump off the page, finishing second in blocks (3.0) and sixth in rebounds (14.3). Clingan's opponents shot just 50.8 percent at the rim when he was the closest defender -- the same as perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Victor Wembanyama.
Offensively, Clingan also made an impact with his solid screen setting, finishing around the basket, and underrated passing. Admittedly, he still has his offensive limitations and conditioning concerns, but that's also why Portland brought in Hansen this summer.
Although Chauncey Billups doesn't envision playing the two centers together (at least early on in their careers), keeping both young centers around in Portland still makes perfect sense. Their roster needs more upside to eventually make a deep playoff run, which Hansen provides. Meanwhile, the safe floor of Clingan makes Portland feel more comfortable taking that risk at pick No. 16, because their rebuild is still on track if Hansen doesn't pan out.
They also have complementary skillsets as 1a and 1b centers that Billups can play depending on matchups, game flow, or rotational needs. Clingan will anchor Portland's elite defense, while Hansen will serve as a much-needed offensive hub.
But if Harper is right and Hansen is a top-25 center right away, Billups will have to make a swift adjustment regarding who is starting at center. If so, Portland's draft gamble on Hansen is about to pay off in a major way.