Across the entire NBA this offseason, few needs will outweigh the LA Lakers’ gaping hole at center. Swapping Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic near the trade deadline was grandly celebrated, but left the 2025 Lakers without enough competent center play.
Though the Doncic trade will almost certainly pay massive dividends down the line, Davis left an equally massive hole in the frontcourt. LA relied on Jaxson Hayes as their starting center after their Mark Williams trade fell through, cycling through the likes of Christian Koloko, Trey Jemison and Alex Len as their other options. In the playoffs, LA chose Len and cut Koloko and Jemison.
That burned them in the postseason, contributing to a five-game series loss to Minnesota. Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid overpowered the Lakers’ interior on both ends of the floor, as JJ Redick most often relied on lineups without a traditional big on the floor.
Los Angeles will target centers in free agency, trades and the draft this offseason. Pending a trade, the Lakers only have the 55th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. It’s uncommon to find impact players that late in the draft, but players picked deep in the second (or not picked at all) can make huge impacts.
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LA Lakers turn to NBA draft to shore up center position: Dissecting China's Hansen Yang's prospects
Hansen Yang, a fast-rising seven-footer from China, could offer an answer through the draft for the Lakers. He starred for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Qingdao Eagles this season, averaging 16.2 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.7 blocks per game while playing the third most minutes on his team.
While his play overseas caught the eye of some draft scouts, his true rise began during the pre-draft NBA combine. Yang confirmed his NBA size, standing at 7-foot-1 without shoes at 253 pounds with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. Though his body can still improve, as is the case for most teenage prospects, he matches up size-wise with most professional centers.
In general, the draft revolves around finding stars and drafting the best talent available. As the draft progresses, teams will think more and more about roster fit and situation for their selections. Teams always consider how players will fit with their foundational pieces and the Lakers will certainly do so with Doncic.
Big men who excel as rollers and lob targets tend to excel with Doncic. He’s extracted the most out of Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell and JaVale McGee. Jaxson Hayes somewhat fits that group and logged monster efficiency while playing with Doncic this season for his aerial scoring.
Yang doesn’t profile primarily as a rim-running center; he makes his money as a back-to-the-basket scorer. He’s a highly skilled interior scorer who harbors a notable scoring load, but that usage will likely decline in the NBA.
If the Lakers targeted Yang, they must feel confident in his projection as a screen and roll threat next to Doncic and James (for the moment). Yang’s enormous reach (9-foot-3) as a true seven-footer provides inherent rolling value, boosted by great footwork and touch. But Yang’s limited vertical athleticism and inconsistent hands could limit him against NBA defenses.
Defenses that drop against Doncic might give Yang some trouble early on as a pure downhill roll threat. He’s much more adept at playing out of the short roll, weaponizing his skill level and processing to beat tilted defenses. When defenses blitz Doncic or James, Yang can make plays as a passer with enough handling skill to score in space.
Los Angeles would covet Yang for more than just his fit with Doncic, though that consideration matters. He posted a 60.4% true shooting with notable post usage, thriving as a scorer and playmaker from down low. That passing can help him transition from a low-post centric role to an offensive hub role, something he showcased during the NBA combine scrimmages.
As is the case for most tall centers, scouts will scrutinize their defensive translation. Yang excelled as a shot blocker in the CBA, logging an excellent 7.1% block rate this past season. His size and reach help him wall off shooters at the rim and Yang displays excellent timing and reactions when contesting shots.
His foot speed and mobility will be critical for his transition to the NBA. He’s improved in that area, but still has a ways to go before he can succeed as a defender in space against NBA athletes. Yang can survive in drop coverage, but will teams be able to run other defensive coverages with Yang as their primary rim defender?
We’ve seen Redick employ creative defensive schemes with the Lakers to maximize his players’ strengths, and the increasing prevalence of double big lineups could be a benefit for Yang moving forward. It’s fair to offer Redick some benefit of the doubt for his ability to maximize lineups and problem solve creatively with sub-par roster talent as he did for much of this season.
Before we can fully theorize the Yang fit in Los Angeles, the Lakers have to draft Yang in the first place. Their only 2025 pick sits at 55, deep into the second round. Yang’s strong NBA combine performance helped vault him up to 46 on the Rookie Scale consensus board, indicating a rise out of the Lakers’ draft range.
If the Lakers had their sights set on Yang, they may have to trade up to pick him. Trading up always comes with risk and the Lakers must feel confident in Yang, but a second-round swap could be less expensive. Yang’s current rising stock could have him leaving the board earlier than teams expect.
International players drafted in the second round often don’t stick in the NBA, finding their way back overseas (or staying there entirely). Yang could add to that list, but his talent is worth investing in at some point. If a team like the Lakers bets on his size, scoring skill, passing and defensive flashes, Yang could find a long-term home in the NBA.
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