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When the Portland Trail Blazers selected Hansen Yang — out of the crowd — with the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, it was a shock to everyone. He wasn't even supposed to be selected in the first round, let alone just outside the lottery.
But his unorthodox do-it-all ability reminded many fans of one of the league's best, Nikola Jokic, so the hype around Yang built up rather quickly.
It all came crashing down once he took the court in the regular season ... and his stock took an even bigger hit on Tuesday.
Yang was underwhelming as a rookie, turning in just seven minutes per night.
It seems the Blazers aren't letting Yang's draft position pressure them into giving him playing time.
On the first day of free agency, Portland got Robert Williams III to return to the franchise as Donovan Clingan's primary backup on a three-year, $44 million deal.
Williams wasn't the only signing, however.
In a sneaky, under-the-radar transaction, the Blazers agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with former Oklahoma City Thunder reserve Branden Carlson.
We know what the "Time Lord" brings to Rip City, as we've seen his ability — albeit sparingly — over the last three seasons.
Carlson is more of a wildcard and may be more of a threat to Yang's potential role than Williams is.
The 27-year-old averaged 5.8 points, three rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 11.6 minutes per game with the Thunder this past season, but it was what Carlson did toward the end of the season that offers so much intrigue.
While Oklahoma City was resting its starters, having already locked up the one-seed, Carlson got the chance to shine. Just take a look at his final two box scores to end the regular season:
No disrespect to Yang ... who still has plenty of time to develop ... but Carlson's finish to last season is a reminder that Portland's backup center rotation may be more competitive than many expected.
If Carlson carries that momentum into training camp, Yang could find himself battling for minutes much sooner than anticipated.
Of course, Carlson still has to earn his place once training camp begins, but the flashes he showed at the end of last season make this signing far more intriguing than it initially appeared.
If those performances were a sign of what's to come, Yang's path to consistent NBA minutes just became significantly more complicated.
Continue reading...
But his unorthodox do-it-all ability reminded many fans of one of the league's best, Nikola Jokic, so the hype around Yang built up rather quickly.
It all came crashing down once he took the court in the regular season ... and his stock took an even bigger hit on Tuesday.
Yang was underwhelming as a rookie, turning in just seven minutes per night.
It seems the Blazers aren't letting Yang's draft position pressure them into giving him playing time.
On the first day of free agency, Portland got Robert Williams III to return to the franchise as Donovan Clingan's primary backup on a three-year, $44 million deal.
Williams wasn't the only signing, however.
In a sneaky, under-the-radar transaction, the Blazers agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with former Oklahoma City Thunder reserve Branden Carlson.
We know what the "Time Lord" brings to Rip City, as we've seen his ability — albeit sparingly — over the last three seasons.
Carlson is more of a wildcard and may be more of a threat to Yang's potential role than Williams is.
The 27-year-old averaged 5.8 points, three rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 11.6 minutes per game with the Thunder this past season, but it was what Carlson did toward the end of the season that offers so much intrigue.
While Oklahoma City was resting its starters, having already locked up the one-seed, Carlson got the chance to shine. Just take a look at his final two box scores to end the regular season:
No disrespect to Yang ... who still has plenty of time to develop ... but Carlson's finish to last season is a reminder that Portland's backup center rotation may be more competitive than many expected.
If Carlson carries that momentum into training camp, Yang could find himself battling for minutes much sooner than anticipated.
Of course, Carlson still has to earn his place once training camp begins, but the flashes he showed at the end of last season make this signing far more intriguing than it initially appeared.
If those performances were a sign of what's to come, Yang's path to consistent NBA minutes just became significantly more complicated.
Continue reading...
