The Trail Blazers surprised many when they took the 7-foot-1 center in the first round of the draft last month, but Yang has delighted on and off the court.

The Portland Trail Blazers turned heads when they decided to draft Yang Hansen with the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Many thought that it was a reach for them to draft him that high. Portland didn't care about what the reaction was going to be from the rest of the NBA.

The Portland Trail Blazers signed center Yang Hansen to a rookie-scale contract, the team announced Tuesday. The Blazers acquired Yang during last week’s NBA draft by trading the No. 11 pick to Memphis for its No. 16 pick, a first-round pick in 2028 (via Orlando) and second-round picks in 2027 and 2028.

Yang Hansen, the Portland Trail Blazers' pick, surprised everyone at the NBA draft. He was eating fried chicken when his name was announced. Hansen's Summer League performance earned him the nickname 'Chinese Jokic'.

The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Yang Hansen with the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and after an intital wave of scrutiny, the Chinese center is getting attention from rival NBA personel. Hansen is a 20-year-old big man who measures seven feet,

Yang Hansen #16 of the Portland Trail Blazers is guarded by Tyler Burton #3 and Armando Bacot #00 of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Getty Images