The Portland Trail Blazers entered the 2025 NBA Draft with the No. 11 overall pick and decided to trade back with the Memphis Grizzlies at pick No. 16. It was all a part of general manager Joe Cronin's bold plan to land center Yang Hansen, a widely projected second-round pick.
Cronin wanted to maximize as much value as possible without trading too far back to the point where he risked the possibility of Hansen being off the table. In retrospect, Portland was cutting it closer than expected, as Hansen had a promise from the Brooklyn Nets with the No.