The NBA fined the Portland Trail Blazers $100,000 and suspended assistant general managers Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz for two weeks without pay. The penalties stem from violations of league rules on contact with draft-ineligible players during the team's scouting of Yang Hansen in December 2023. The Blazers self-reported the issue and fully cooperated with the investigation.
The league announced the punishment on Wednesday, citing improper contact in connection with scouting the Chinese center ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. The Trail Blazers accepted the determination in a statement, noting they brought the matter to the NBA's attention themselves and cooperated throughout the probe. No further details on the nature of the violation were disclosed publicly by either the league or the team. The Blazers acquired Hansen, the No. 16 overall pick originally held by the Grizzlies, on draft night. Portland sent its No. 11 selection, Cedric Coward, to Memphis in exchange for Hansen plus a 2028 first-round pick and two second-round picks. Before entering the draft, the 7-foot-1, 270-pound Hansen had played two seasons for the Qingdao Eagles in China's top professional league. General manager Joe Cronin revealed post-draft that the team had tracked Hansen intensively for nearly two years. A scout first spotted him at an under-18 event, prompting Oliva and Schmitz to travel to China for live evaluation that fall. Cronin noted they hoped Hansen would declare for the 2024 draft but continued scouting after he did not. In his rookie season, Hansen has appeared in 41 games off the bench, averaging 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 7.2 minutes while shooting 31% from the field. The Trail Blazers sit at 39-38, holding the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference after winning seven of their last nine games.
