SEOUL, September 7 (AJP) - South Korean basketball player Lee Hyun-jung has moved closer to his NBA dream by signing a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, his agency Epic Sports said on Monday.
The one-year Exhibit 10 deal is non-guaranteed, pays the NBA's minimum salary, but gives Lee a chance to compete for a spot on the Trail Blazers' regular-season roster, allowing him to participate in the team's training camp.
Even if Lee doesn't make the Trail Blazers' final roster, he could still pursue his NBA dream with the team's lower-league affiliate, the Rip City Remix, where strong performances could open the door to a bigger contract.
The 25-year-old has continued to pursue an NBA opportunity. Earlier this offseason, he played for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League and participated in mini camps with several teams including the Boston Celtics.
Epic Sports said Lee received offers from several teams including the Celtics and the Nagasaki Velca, but chose the Trail Blazers because of the role available to him and the team's long-term vision and support for their players.
Meanwhile, Lee, who is set to represent the country's national basketball team at the upcoming Asian Games, left for Nagoya, Japan, later in the day ahead of the team's qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
AJP Takeaways
- Lee Hyun-jung signed a non-guaranteed, one-year Exhibit 10 deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, giving him a shot at the regular-season roster via training camp.
- He turned down other offers including from the Celtics and Japan's Nagasaki Velca for Portland's role and long-term development approach, with the G League's Rip City Remix as a fallback path.
- He's now headed to Nagoya, Japan, to join South Korea's national team ahead of an Asian Games qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The one-year Exhibit 10 deal is non-guaranteed, pays the NBA's minimum salary, but gives Lee a chance to compete for a spot on the Trail Blazers' regular-season roster, allowing him to participate in the team's training camp.
Even if Lee doesn't make the Trail Blazers' final roster, he could still pursue his NBA dream with the team's lower-league affiliate, the Rip City Remix, where strong performances could open the door to a bigger contract.
The 25-year-old has continued to pursue an NBA opportunity. Earlier this offseason, he played for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League and participated in mini camps with several teams including the Boston Celtics.
Epic Sports said Lee received offers from several teams including the Celtics and the Nagasaki Velca, but chose the Trail Blazers because of the role available to him and the team's long-term vision and support for their players.
Meanwhile, Lee, who is set to represent the country's national basketball team at the upcoming Asian Games, left for Nagoya, Japan, later in the day ahead of the team's qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
AJP Takeaways
- Lee Hyun-jung signed a non-guaranteed, one-year Exhibit 10 deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, giving him a shot at the regular-season roster via training camp.
- He turned down other offers including from the Celtics and Japan's Nagasaki Velca for Portland's role and long-term development approach, with the G League's Rip City Remix as a fallback path.
- He's now headed to Nagoya, Japan, to join South Korea's national team ahead of an Asian Games qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
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