The Portland Trail Blazers got their guy in last year’s NBA Draft but are now being punished for it.
The NBA announced on Wednesday that they are fining the Blazers a sum of $100,000 and suspending their assistant general managers Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz for two weeks each without pay. In their official release, the NBA stated that Portland violated rules governing contact with draft-ineligible players by scouting center Yang Hansen back in Dec. 2023.
“When this was brought to our attention, the Portland Trail Blazers self reported to the NBA,” Portland said in an ensuing statement after the punishments were announced. “The team cooperated fully with the investigation and accept the league’s determination.”
The seven-footer Hansen, 20, was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, having originally been selected by the Memphis Grizzlies but getting his rights traded over to the Blazers on draft night. A native of China who was previously an All-Star for the Qingdao Eagles, Hansen was a surprising selection in the first round of the NBA Draft as a player whom very few in the United States had heard of at the time.
As a rookie for Portland this season, Hansen is averaging just 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game over 41 total appearances. But Hansen has been much more effective in the NBA G League, posting 16.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game for the Rip City Remix.
Hansen has already become a fan favorite in Portland and has managed to go viral over his many hilarious quotes. But it appears that the Blazers had improper contact with Hansen well before he was drafted, and they are now getting punished for it.
