Official Announcement! Signed! 19-Year-Old Chinese Prodigy Signs with Lakers' Affiliate Team!
Chinese media reported that Klutch Sports Group, the agency of renowned agent Rich Paul, is set to sign Yang Hanshen, the center for Qingdao Men's Basketball.
Soon after, Klutch Sports Group announced the news on social media, welcoming Yang Hanshen with a post.
This is truly unexpected!
Klutch Sports Group is considered the top NBA agency, right?
It has also been called the "Lakers' reserve team," as Rich Paul always finds ways to connect his clients with the Lakers.
During the 2023 playoffs, Klutch had seven players on the Lakers, so calling them the Lakers' second team isn't wrong, right?
They only sign well-known players; look at their roster:
LeBron James, Bronny, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ingram, Bronny, Garland, Fox, Maxi, Ingram, Trae Young, LaVine, VanVleet, Nurkic, Jerami Grant, Ben Simmons, Trae Young, Pope, Ball, Murray, etc...
NBA superstars, stars, All-Stars, team cores, excellent players, and even team cancers will all be Sen's colleagues from now on.
According to domestic media reports, Yang Hanshen previously signed with Aostar Sports, a famous domestic basketball industry brokerage firm.
This time, Yang Hanshen signing with Klutch was precisely Aostar's operation to connect the dots, aiming to fully impact this summer's NBA draft.
Sources revealed that Klutch has explicitly promised to mobilize relevant resources to help Yang Hanshen make an all-out effort to enter the NBA. According to the plan, Yang Hanshen will register for the NBA draft in April this year.
Klutch's ability to create momentum and stars is unparalleled. Last year, they successfully got Bronny selected by the Lakers in the 55th pick of the draft and signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract comparable to a lottery pick.
Bronny is LeBron's son, but Yang Hanshen is another chosen one for Chinese basketball.
Last year, Xiao Cui's journey to the NBA was put on hold due to injury, but his inspiring story encouraged many young domestic players.
This year, a younger and stronger Yang Hanshen has emerged.
With Yang Hanshen's strength plus Klutch's promotional efforts and resource operations, Yang Hanshen's chances of succeeding in this summer's draft have greatly increased.
Of course, it still takes hard work.
Last year, when Yang Hanshen represented China in the Summer League, he once shone brightly, and some media even hyped him up, saying:
The 7-foot-1 Yang Hanshen looked like Embiid in the Summer League games.
No kidding, Yang Hanshen's decision to stay in the CBA for the new season made many fans feel regretful.
Yang Hanshen is 19 years old and has just played two years in the CBA, still in the best age range for making an NBA push.
To be fair, he hasn't established dominance in the CBA yet.
First year: 15 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.2 blocks
Second year: 16.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.7 blocks
In his rookie season in the CBA, he was selected for the All-Star Game, was the first domestic player lineup, the annual best rookie player, and the season's best defensive player.
However, it should be noted that Yang Hanshen is not yet a player of the level of the "Great Demon King" or a six-sided warrior. A fair assessment is that he is an outstanding young player with a promising future for Chinese basketball.
Looking at our domestic young players, no one can surpass him, but compared to the higher stage of the NBA draft, he can only be considered average and lost among the crowd.
Let's see what American scouts and media think of Yang Hanshen:
Offensively, Yang Hanshen's versatility makes people compare him to Jokic and Shen Jing. He has profound low-post footwork techniques, including step-ups, small hook shots, turnaround feints, and a soft touch near the basket.
Perhaps his best attribute is his court vision and passing instincts, which give him the potential to become a reliable offensive hub.
Defensively, Yang Hanshen has proven himself to be a dominant rim protector, leading both the U19 World Cup and the CBA in blocks. However, there are still concerns about his ability to switch on the perimeter defense and adapt to the NBA pace.
In summary:
Yang Hanshen's height, offensive skills, and passing abilities are outstanding, but questions remain about his defense and adaptability to NBA speed.
Opinions on Yang Hanshen's draft prospects and whether he can establish himself in the NBA are mixed.
Yang's family doesn't deceive Yang's family, let's look at the serious ones.
Some former NBA players currently playing in the CBA believe that Yang Hanshen is already at an NBA-ready level.
However, there are also NBA scouts who say that Yang Hanshen is mediocre in everything, can't jump high or run fast, and lacks the top-level skills of a floor general finisher.
From our perspective, Yang Hanshen is the chosen one of Chinese basketball. Although his current abilities are still far from the NBA, venturing into the NBA requires talent as the foundation. The first step is to go out and seize opportunities. Only then can he compete on attitude, hard work, and perseverance based on his talents.
As long as Yang Hanshen dares to step out of his comfort zone and dare to challenge a higher basketball stage, we will definitely support him wholeheartedly.
It is reported that Yang Hanshen will definitely register for the NBA draft in April this year.
So here comes the question:
Who will be Yang Hanshen's next team in the NBA?
The Lakers are ranked first, after all, Klutch is like the Lakers' second team. With Bronny's precedent, why wouldn't a taller, stronger, and more promising Yang Hanshen follow suit?
Some fans even said: The Lakers are in need of a center, and one with a bit of playmaking ability.
Isn't that exactly Yang Hanshen?
The Nets are certainly in the running as well.
With Xiao Cui as a pioneer and the Nets' owner Joe Tsai, it's fair to say that the Nets have a greater chance of selecting Yang Hanshen!
And we mustn't forget the Rockets.
The Rockets were once the main team for Chinese fans. If Yang Hanshen follows in the footsteps of Yao Ming and Zhou Qi, it would undoubtedly be a great story.
Of course, there are some teams that fans say he absolutely shouldn't join.
For example, the Warriors...
In fact, I think that in the 2025 draft, as long as Yang Hanshen can be selected, it will be the first successful step. After all, 2025 is recognized as a big draft year with a wealth of talented rookies and fierce competition. As for who selects him, that's secondary. For the newcomer Yang Hanshen, no matter where he goes, it will be a brand-new, more challenging path.
Go for it! For the dream of basketball.
Take advantage of your youth and chase your dreams early!