Yang Hansen of China officially signed with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, after going to the team with the 16th-overall pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft on June 25.

According to spotrac.com, Yang inked a four-year, $21.4 million deal that includes team options for both the third and fourth seasons. Portland won't be able to trade him until August 1.

Yang played for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) before declaring for the NBA Draft, averaging 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game over the past two seasons. He was named CBA Defensive Player of the Year after the 2023-24 campaign. He is also a two-time All-CBA Team selection, two-time Top Young Rising Star (analougous to Rookie of the Year but with second-year players also eligible), and two-time All-Star Game participant.

Yang became the third Chinese player drafted by an NBA team in the first round after Yao Ming in 2002 and Yi Jianlian in 2007. He impressed multiple teams with his performance during the Draft Combine to ramp up interest in his services. Both the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly wanted to land the 2.18-meter-tall big man, but the Trail Blazers outmaneuvered both teams to acquire his rights.

Portland is still going through a rebuild that started when the team traded nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in September 2023. They won 21 and 36 games during the past two seasons, respectively, failing to reach the NBA Playoffs both times.

Yang will primarily compete with Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Reath for playing time at the center position, after the Trail Blazers bought out Deandre Ayton's contract. During this offseason, the team also sent Anfernee Simons and their 2030 and 2031 second round draft picks to the Boston Celtics for point guard Jrue Holiday, a two-time league champion with Milwaukee in 2021 and Boston last year.

"You can just tell he's been taught the right way, so a lot of things as a coach that I have to teach with young guys, I don't have to teach this kid," Portland coach Chauncey Billups said while discussing Yang. "He's been taught the right way, so I'm really excited about him, and it's going to be a lot of fun."

"This is a very, very unique talent, in our opinion," Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said on draft night. "He obviously has great size at 7-2, young, just turns 20 tomorrow. High, high-end skill set, his ability to pass, his basketball IQ, his functionality in the post. His ability to step out. We think he'll be a good free throw shooter, we think he'll make perimeter jump shots as well. Defensively, he's a really smart player that can be pretty versatile in the post with his size and IQ."