NBA Summer League is just around the corner, and outside of Cooper Flagg, the Portland Trail Blazers may have the most anticipated prospect expected to play in Yang Hansen.
The Blazers and general manager Joe Cronin have a lot riding on Hansen's career after making such an unconventional selection at pick No. 16. Time will tell whether it's a worthwhile gamble or not. And while you can never put too much into one game, especially in Summer League, we should get a better sense of how Yang stacks up against better competition as soon as their first game on July 11.
Trail Blazers 2025 NBA Summer League schedule
Here is the Summer League schedule for the Blazers:
- Friday, July 11 @ Golden State Warriors (8:00 pm PDT)
- Saturday, July 12 vs Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 pm PDT)
- Tuesday, July 15 @ New Orleans Pelicans (7:00 pm PDT)
- Thursday, July 17 vs Houston Rockets (5:00 pm PDT)
All four games will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first two will be at the Thomas & Mack Center, while the final two will be at the Pavilion. The NBA Summer League schedule also notes that all four Blazers games will be aired in China via "Videoland" streaming and "Migu" audio.
Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report expects Donovan Clingan to sit out the Summer League, which should give Hansen an increased role. Along with Hansen, he expects Rayan Rupert, Sidy Cissoko, and Caleb Love to play.
Joe Cronin has a lot riding on his Yang Hansen gamble
Yang's highlights look incredible, and there are undeniably aspects of his game that should immediately translate to the NBA, particularly his size and passing/basketball IQ. That's what makes Hansen such an intriguing selection as a high-upside gamble, because the things he does well are exactly the things you can't teach.
Head coach Chauncey Billups doesn't expect Hansen to be a 'project' type player, but it remains to be seen if that's actually the case despite his optimism. The things that made Hansen a second-round projection in the first place -- his mobility, shooting, and physicality -- could ultimately hold him back from making as much of an immediate impact as Portland envisions.
We're glad they took the gamble and could see a pathway where this experiment actually works out. But there's no denying that the risk involved is severe, with Yang having an extremely wide range of outcomes.
That's even more of a gamble for Cronin now that the Blazers are up for sale. The new owner coming in will surely have this selection fresh in their mind and could even use it as a determining factor in whether or not to clean house.
Let's hope for everyone's sake that Yang is as special as Portland thinks he is. We'll find out more on July 11.