Surprising picks and stunning trades are through lines each year at the NBA Draft and part of what makes the event such a fascinating spectacle. But the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday during the first round of the draft made a selection so unexpected and so astonishing -- drafting Chinese center Yang Hansen at No.

The Portland Trail Blazers have selected Hansen Yang with the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, after acquiring the pick from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Portland became “intrigued” by Hansen’s game in 2023, specifically while he played for China during the FIBA U19 World Cup, according to ESPN, which reported the Blazers plan to begin Hansen’s development “immediately” by bringing him to the United States.