S. Korean forward Lee Hyun-jung signs Exhibit 10 deal with NBA's Portland
SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean sharpshooter Lee Hyun-jung signed a non-...
South Korean basketball player Lee Hyun-jung has inked a non-guaranteed contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to his agency. The Exhibit 10 deal, which is a one-year contract offering a minimum salary, provides Lee with an opportunity to earn a spot on the NBA team during training camp later this fall. If he fails to make the cut, Lee will still receive a bonus for participating in the Trail Blazers' G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
The agreement could potentially be converted to a two-way contract, allowing Lee to split time between the NBA and G League. Lee, 25, aspires to begin an NBA career, although he had initially hoped for a two-way contract at the start. Prior to the NBA draft, Lee played college basketball at Davidson and suffered a foot injury just days before the draft.
Since then, he has played in Australia and Japan, including a stint with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League. As a sophomore, Lee achieved the impressive 50-40-90 shooting percentage - 50.8% from the field, 44.2% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line. A basketball player from a family of athletes, Lee Hyun-jung is set to represent South Korea in the Asian Games, which begin in Nagoya, Japan on Thursday.
Only one South Korean has ever played in the NBA: Ha Seung-jin, a 7-foot-3 center who was selected 46th overall by the Trail Blazers in 2004 and played 46 games across two seasons.
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