Yang Hansen
Yang Hansen is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted 16th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies before being traded to the Trail Blazers. Yang is the ninth Chinese player to be drafted to the NBA, and the third highest overall to be drafted.
Early life
Yang was born on June 26, 2005, in Zibo, Shandong Province, and started playing basketball when he was a child. He joined the club for training in the third grade of elementary school and later enrolled in Zibo Sports School. Around 2020, at the invitation of Qingdao Guoxin Haitian Club, he entered the club's youth training system.In 2021, the Qingdao Guoxin Haitian Youth Team defeated Tsinghua High School in the finals to win the U17 National Championship, and Yang was named the Best Defensive Player. In 2022, the Qingdao Guoxin Haitian Youth Team defended the U17 National Championship, and Yang was named the Most Valuable Player.
Professional career
Qingdao Eagles
During the 2023–24 CBA season, Yang was promoted to the Qingdao Eagles' first team to play professional games. On October 23, 2023, he made his professional debut in the first round of the regular season against Beijing Enterprises. In the All-Star Game that season, Yang was selected as the starting player for the North Division Team. During his first season, NBA personnel visited the Qingdao training complex on multiple occasions to observe Yang, but he ultimately chose not to participate in the 2024 NBA draft. Yang was named both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after the season, after averaging 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and three assists per game.Portland Trail Blazers
To the surprise of many, on June 25, 2025, Yang was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies as the 16th pick of the 2025 NBA draft. However, he would later have his draft rights traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, alongside future draft considerations, for the rights of Cedric Coward. Yang is the ninth Chinese player to be drafted to the NBA. He is the highest Chinese draft pick since Yi Jianlian in 2007, and the third-highest draft pick ever from China. On Monday, January 26, 2026, the NBA announced that Hansen, along with Donovan Clingan were both announced to be players for the Rising Stars game. In his rookie season, Yang was assigned to the Rip City Remix but was subsequently recalled back to the Portland Trail Blazers.National team career
Yang represented China at the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, averaging 12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and five blocks, and was named in the All-Second Team.In February 2024, he made his national team debut in the 2025 FIBA Asian Cup qualifiers against Mongolia.