Yang Hansen made a huge cultural impact in Portland and across the NBA when the Trail Blazers selected him 16th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft . The move eclipsed Portland’s former center darling, Donovan Clingan, taken 7th in the 2024 draft. Not everyone has forgotten about the Connecticut grad, however. Jeremy Woo of ESPN listed ten promising NBA sophomores , putting Clingan fifth on his list.

After citing Clingan’s rookie stats (6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game) and his defensive promise, Woo explained the buzz surrounding the center:

The Trail Blazers seemingly cleared the way for Clingan and draftee Yang Hansen to share time at center next season — Robert Williams III is still around, but could make sense as an eventual trade candidate on his expiring contract. I

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