The Denver Nuggets will soon have a division rival who is looking to follow the path of their superstar.
On draft night, nothing special happened in Denver. With the Nuggets not having any draft picks, there was little to be concerned about.
While Denver made a big trade, swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson, some of Denver’s most critical draft night developments happened elsewhere, specifically in Portland. The Trail Blazers made one of the most shocking picks in the first round, taking Yang Hansen with the 16th pick via Memphis.
While Hansen went higher than expected, Portland’s decision wasn’t questioned much after seeing the rookie in Summer League. With his playmaking ability as a big man, Hansen quickly earned the nickname “Chinese Jokic.”
Fittingly, Nikola Jokic is Hansen’s favorite player, with the Blazers rookie revealing that he would love to get a picture and signature from the three-time MVP. In typical Jokic fashion, he had a perfect response.
There’s just one catch… Nikola Jokić reacts to seeing @Hans15Y’s request! pic.twitter.com/qP2MkOiNI3
— NBA (@NBA) July 23, 2025
“He’s talented, he’s talented, we can have a picture or whatever he wants,” Jokic said. “Only if he plays bad against me. If I destroy him, and I score a lot of points, then yes. If he do that, then no.”
Jokic also said that he’s glad that he might be out of the league by the time Hansen reaches his prime. Considering the dominance of international talent in today’s league, Hansen should fit in perfectly, and hopefully have some memorable battles against Jokic over the next few years.
While Hansen has a high mountain to climb to reach Jokic’s level, the three-time MVP certainly thinks that he has a bright future at the very least.