A fter signing Damian Lillard, trading for Jrue Holiday, and drafting Yang Hansen, the Portland Trail Blazers can look back on the last four weeks with a sense of accomplishment.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie center Yang Hansen followed up Friday night’s strong opening performance in the 2025 NBA Summer League with a so-so outing Saturday night during a 96-86 loss to Memphis in Las Vegas.

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,

"For sure it was a big shock for me," he said through an interpreter during an ESPN interview. "When Adam Silver called my name, it surprised me. I was just sitting there finishing my fried chicken. I didn't even put my suit on. Suddenly they told me, 'Hansen, Hansen, put your suit on.'"

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 have a free agency prediction amid the craziness of the NBA offseason. An insider predicts that a new face will get his chance to com

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