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.

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.

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