The NBA has slapped the Portland Trail Blazers with a $100,000 fine and suspended two assistant general managers after finding the franchise improperly contacted a draft-ineligible prospect. Assistant GMs Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz were each given two-week suspensions without pay after league investigators concluded the team scouted 7-foot-1 center Yang Hansen in December 2023. The penalties were announced on Wednesday as Portland continues to adjust its front office under new ownership.
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, the Blazers told the league they self-reported the predraft contacts and “cooperated fully” with investigators. The outlet reports the contacts occurred during a December 2023 scouting trip to China that included both Oliva and Schmitz, who were hired by GM Joe Cronin in 2022.
League Ruling and Penalties
As reported by The Washington Post, the NBA concluded the front-office contacts violated league rules that bar teams from recruiting prospects before they declare for the draft. The league’s announcement detailed a $100,000 fine for the organization and two-week unpaid suspensions for both Oliva and Schmitz, with no additional penalties listed.
Who Was Involved
Yang Hansen, a 7-foot-1 center from China who was selected No. 16 overall in the 2025 draft, has appeared in 41 NBA games this season and averaged about 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds, per Sportsnet. At the G League level he has been more productive, averaging 16.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 blocks in 19 games, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Oliva and Schmitz are described in team bios as long-time evaluators who joined Cronin’s staff in 2022 and handled international scouting duties.
Local Impact and What Comes Next
Pulling two assistant GMs off duty for two weeks removes experienced evaluators during a sensitive pre-draft stretch. The timing is notable: the NBA Board of Governors approved the franchise sale to investor Tom Dundon only days earlier, according to The Washington Post. The team says it self-reported the contacts and has accepted the league’s determination, and the organization has not announced any interim staffing shifts for upcoming scouting windows.
League Enforcement Trend
An official NBA communications release earlier this season highlighted sizable fines and suspensions issued to other teams to protect competitive integrity, signaling a tougher posture on off-court conduct. The discipline against Portland fits that pattern of the NBA policing predraft and roster-related behavior, the league said in its statements to media.
