20yo Chinese NBA rookie Yang Hansen is stuck in a tough situation at Portland, fighting for a roster spot amid center surplus and uncertain contract.
The Trail Blazers currently have five centers on their roster. Last season, 20-year-old Chinese player Yang Hansen struggled to secure consistent playing time with the team; he was neither included in the regular rotation nor put on the trade block. This unusual arrangement has long been a source of confusion for many fans.
As a rookie selected 16th overall in the first round of the 2024 draft, he made only 43 appearances throughout his rookie season, averaging 2.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. Some even labeled him the “worst rookie,” and observers have consistently struggled to understandwhy the team had delayed making a clear decision regarding his future.
To the surprise of most, the Trail Blazers officially placed him in their long-term development program.
During the
recent offseason, Yang Hansen spent almost all of his time at the team’s practice facility, meticulously honing every aspect of his game—from low-post footwork to his touch on mid-range and long-range shots.He took hundreds of spot-up shots every day alone, eagerly hoping to break into the team’s rotation for the new season. But once he took stock of his current situation, he realized that only the first year of his rookie contract was guaranteed, and the team’s option for the third year remained undecided.The general manager’s public remarks also dashed his hopes of seeing playing time, stating explicitly that his current abilities do not yet meet the requirements for the regular rotation and estimating that it would take until his third season to reach the standard of a regular NBA player. It is highly likely that he will be sent down to the G League multiple times during the upcoming season to gain experience.
On one hand, there is intense internal competition at his position; on the other, his contract prospects remain unclear. Add to that the fact that he has never before maintained such a high-intensity training regimen during such a long hiatus from competition. Anyone in his situation would inevitably feel lost, wondering how exactly to chart the course ahead.
Most of the advice from
outsiders is to stay focused on improving his technical weaknesses and give it his all during his limited playing time in the preseason. But when it comes down to sitting on the bench day after day watching teammates take the court—or when he actually receives a notice of assignment to the G League—no one can guarantee he won’t feel a sense of disappointment and anxiety.
For Yang Hansen, the window of opportunity is crystal clear: if he can secure a spot in the rotation this season, he’ll remain with the team and receive the corresponding development resources; but if he fails to seize these hard-won opportunities to perform, he’ll either continue to languish in the G League for an extended period,or he’ll follow the well-trodden path of many players who’ve gone overseas before him. Whether he ultimately stays in the NBA lies entirely in the specifics of his performance—every shot he takes and every defensive play he makes.
This young player, who has just turned twenty, is facing the most critical juncture of his career abroad.
