The 2025 NBA Draft had its first real stunner just past the midway point of Wednesday’s proceedings.
The Trail Blazers surprised the basketball community by acquiring Yang Hansen from China with the 16th pick in a trade involving the Grizzlies.
Hansen was not seen by most draft experts as a first-round pick, so Portland using its spot to take the 7-foot-1 center surprised many.
CBS analyst Matt Norlander said he was stunned by the 19-year-old getting picked so high.
“While Egor Demin heading to Brooklyn was a solid 6.8 shock on a scale of 10, this move is closer to a complete astonishment at around 9.5,” commented Norlander. “I can assure you, people across the league are baffled and messaging each other right now, asking: ‘What exactly is Portland thinking?’”
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One NBA exec told ClutchPoints succinctly: “That is the wildest pick I’ve ever seen. Those jobs up there are on the line.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania called the pick a “surprise.”
Hansen was not listed in The Post’s final first-round mock draft.
He’s the first player from China to be taken in the NBA draft since Zhou Qi (Rockets) and Wang Zhelin (Grizzlies) were picked in 2016.
At 19, Hansen has played the past two seasons in the CBA, where he averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game across 96 appearances.
NBA.com’s draft profile says Hansen does have star potential at center, but that he’ll need to add muscle to make good on reaching those lofty heights.
While it remains to be seen how Hansen acclimates to the NBA, the Trail Blazers, at least for one night, left people scratching their heads.
