Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon drew a firm line when asked about Yang Hansen’s early popularity, saying the rookie center will earn minutes instead of receiving them because of outside attention.
On the “Game Over” podcast, agent Rich Paul asked Dundon how Portland could maximize the viewership Hansen brings. Dundon acknowledged that the numbers were strongest early and then dipped when Hansen did not play, but he rejected the idea that public interest should drive rotation decisions.
“I’m not doing that,” Dundon said. “I’m not playing him just because he gets views. If he earns it, he’ll play, of course, I’m not stupid. It would be great if he was good, and I hope he will be good…it’s early.” He also added that “the guys in Portland are very confident in this.”
The comments matter because Hansen already carries unusual attention for a 20-year-old Chinese big man. He was originally selected by Memphis with the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Portland, making him the ninth Chinese player drafted into the league and the highest Chinese draft pick since Yi Jianlian in 2007.
Hansen’s first NBA season showed both his potential and the patience Portland appears willing to use. He played 43 games, made one start and averaged 2.2 points in 7.0 minutes per game, while shooting 31.0% from the field and 82.4% from the line.
In the G League, Hansen showed a different statistical profile over a larger workload. In 19 games for the Rip City Remix, he averaged 30.6 minutes, 16.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He shot 59.2% from the field and 32.6% from three-point range, along with 73.2% from the free-throw line.
For the Trail Blazers, the bigger basketball question is not whether Hansen has value, but when that value becomes usable in a rotation that already includes multiple young bigs. Portland’s depth chart features Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams and other frontcourt options, which makes Hansen’s path depend on growth, matchup needs and consistency rather than market size.
