One thing is certain after the first round of the NBA Draft: This Portland Trail Blazers front office isn’t concerned with public opinion or making the conventional move.
On the heels of a polarizing trade that stunned the fanbase Monday, Portland general manager Joe Cronin and company pulled off the most shocking move of the draft on Wednesday. The franchise traded back from its No. 11 pick (used on Cedric Coward) for future draft capital and the No. 16 pick to select Yang Hansen, a little-known 7-foot-1 center from China. General consensus from mock drafts projected the 20-year-old big man wouldn’t come off the board until the second round, meaning he didn’t even get a Green Room invite to the event.