Yang Hansen may not have been a name on the radar for some, but his tall frame quickly caught the eye of many as he made his way toward the NBA draft stage on Wednesday night.
Hansen, the 7-foot-2 Chinese center, heard his name called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the 16th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies. He’ll soon be suiting up for the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to a draft-night trade.
Hansen was seemingly not a lock first-round pick but decided to show up with his family at the Barclays Center anyway and sat in the stands.
“I had him as a second-round pick, but it goes to show if you like a player, why wait?” ESPN broadcast Jay Bilas said of Hansen after the first round broadcast was finished. “That was a little bit of a surprise.”
Who is Yang Hansen?
The 19-year-old big man has experience as a professional player, having spent the past two years with the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association.
He averaged a career-high 16.6 points last season to go along with his 10.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.6 blocks per game. He shot 58.6% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line.
According to the NBA, Hansen is now the ninth player from China to be drafted, and the first since 2016.
What was the Trail Blazers-Grizzlies trade?
The Trail Blazers traded the No. 11 pick (Cedric Coward) to the Grizzlies for the No. 16 pick (Hansen), a first-round pick in 2028 and two second-round picks.