The Portland Trail Blazers have been fined $100,000, and two of their assistant general managers — Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz — have been suspended for two weeks without pay, all for making illegal pre-draft contact with Yang Hansen in December of 2023, the NBA announced.
The Trail Blazers released this statement (via Sean Highkin of the must-read Rose Garden Report):
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“When this was brought to our attention the Portland Trail Blazers self reported to the NBA. The team cooperated fully with the investigation and accept the league’s determination.”
Hansen was a surprise No. 16 pick of the Trail Blazers last June, and when asked about the unexpected selection at the time, the Trail Blazers responded they had been watching him closely for years. Apparently, that’s true. The 20-year-old, 7’1″ center out of China has been compared to Nikola Jokic because he has a similar skill set in many ways, including being a gifted passer.
Hansen has shown flashes of that skill set but has a lot of development — both physically and with his game — before he is ready for rotation NBA minutes. Hansen has shown more of that potential with the Rip City Remix — Portland’s G League affiliate — where, in 14 games, he has averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds. He has played in 41 Trail Blazers games but is averaging just 7.2 minutes and 2.3 points per game.
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