Yang Hansen speaks to the media after being drafted 16th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) Getty Images

Instead of going with the expected selections, the Trail Blazers shocked everyone by picking Yang Hasen. The 20-year-old prospect from Zibo was projected to be a mid-second-round pick, but he was drafted near the lottery tonight in a move that executives are failing to understand.

Chinese basketball star Yang Hansen turned 20 on Thursday, but the best birthday gift he could ask for arrived a day earlier: putting on the NBA draft cap after being picked in the first round.