Despite reaching for a widely projected second-round pick with the No. 16 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers didn't view Yang Hansen as a project-type player. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case. Hansen is having a concerning rookie season, struggling to gain the trust of interim head coach Tiago Splitter.
The Blazers have been one of the most injured teams in the league this season, but Splitter still doesn't want to "throw him into the fire." As a result, Hansen has failed to crack the frontcourt rotation, averaging just eight minutes a game.