Trail Blazers GM: We want to help Hansson become the best player possible; his selection has nothing to do with business decisions

On February 19th Beijing time, Trail Blazers GM Cronin spoke with wweek media about all aspects of the team, including two questions regarding Yang Hansson. The details are as follows—

Q: What kind of presence does Yang Hansson have on the team? In terms of media attention and jersey sales, what changes did he bring early on?

Cronin: Like many rookies, he has fluctuations and is still searching for his pace. But we really like his attitude within the team. Hansson has a great mindset, full of energy, and lights up the whole room. Our current challenge is to help him develop into the best player he can be. We are working hard toward that goal.

As for his influence, I don’t focus heavily on specific numbers, but sometimes I see viewership info from the Summer League. It’s wonderful to witness the passion of Chinese fans for him and their love for basketball.

Q: Some people, including data expert John Hollinger, have publicly questioned if selecting Yang Hansson was purely a basketball decision. How do you respond to such criticism?

Cronin: I don’t care. Honestly, I don’t care what others say. Our sole focus is building the best basketball team, from Jodie Allen to everyone else. His selection has absolutely nothing to do with business considerations.

Besides the questions about Yang Hansson, Cronin also talked about his relationship with Lillard and the topic of the Trail Blazers finding a new core in Avdija—

Q: Everyone knows you and Lillard had a rough patch in your relationship. How did you manage to repair it?

Cronin: I believe our foundation was strong enough to get through that period. Even after the trade, mutual respect remained. We still respect and appreciate each other—at least I deeply respect him; I won’t speak for him—but there’s no awkwardness at all. We’ve had several good conversations at his home. Part of it was discussing how we wished certain things had been handled differently, but mostly it was about moving forward. The past is behind us. From my side, I told him: this team still values you immensely, and we’re willing to work through issues. The process went smoother than anyone imagined.

Q: The Trail Blazers once built the team around Lillard, and when rumors about Giannis surfaced, people thought you’d build around another superstar. Does this team have such a figure now? Have you found your core?

Cronin: Yes, currently it’s Avdija. He made the All-Star team this year and is just getting started. At 25, he has made tremendous progress with us over the past two years—even when he was with the Wizards, he was already on the path to becoming a core player. That’s one. We believe we still need multiple core players.