The Portland Trail Blazers prioritize the development of one of the youngest stars.
The Portland Trail Blazers had a transformative summer after yet another season of disappointment from the franchise.
The summer began when the Trail Blazers traded Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday. In another attempt to clean the house, the Trail Blazers acquired the contract for Dean Ayton.
In perhaps the most surprising move, the Trail Blazers signed Damian Lillard and regained the star after being abandoned by the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, as Lillard came out throughout next season, the Trail Blazers relied on a first-round pick in 2025 and compared it to Nicola Zhokic.
With a #16 pick in the NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected China’s relatively unknown star, Yang Hansen.
Trail Blazers’ coach Chauncey Billups has all the tools to succeed, which has led Hansen to succeed almost immediately.
Hansen moved fans in the NBA Summer League and rose strong numbers in the Las Vegas tournament.
Some analysts, like Brian Windhorst, believe Hansen is a prototype of what the next generation of NBA centers will look like in the coming years.
Gilbert Arenas is taking it a step further, claiming that Hansen can improve the playing style of Jokic and Alperen Senn for great players.
The inside support of the young star is great, and Damian Lillard suggests that Hansen can help Scoot Henderson and Julou Holiday next season.
As things stand, Hansen Yang is unlikely to start ahead of the Trail Blazers’ first-round pick, Donovan Klingan.
The Blazers have a veteran center with Robert Williams III, but he is a trade target for many teams and rarely does much to avoid damaging his value with potential injuries.
If Hansen is everything that the analyst believes is him, it should be almost difficult to take a starting spot from Klingan, who left no impression on his rookie season.
Additionally, Hansen has the support of the Trail Blazers organization. This means that he will develop him into a star in the best possible position.