Yang Hansen

Yang Hansen arrived in Portland carrying a nickname — 'the Chinese Jokic' — and the weight that comes with being the highest Chinese draft pick since Yi Jianlian in 2007. The 16th selection in 2025 (via a Memphis draft-night trade) turned Summer League into a phenomenon: more than five million viewers tuned in back home, dwarfing the audience for the top American rookies. The regular season was a gentler introduction — just 2.2 points across 43 games, with 14 nights logged for the G League's Rip City Remix learning NBA speed. What's worth watching isn't the scoring, though. It's the passing. A seven-footer who reads the floor like a guard is a rare starting point, and Portland is betting that feel translates once the reps pile up.