The Portland Trail Blazers have pulled off one of those maneuvers that makes you question how much is athletic competition and how much financial strategy: the Oregon franchise has brought in Hyunjung Lee on an Exhibit 10 contract for the 2026-27 season, as announced by the player’s agency.
The deal, for one season and non-guaranteed, will allow the Korean winger to participate in training camp and compete for a spot on the roster. Portland will also be able to convert his contract into a two-way deal. If he is ultimately waived, the most likely route would send him to the Rip City Remix, the Blazers’ G League affiliate, where he could receive a bonus if he remains for the required period.
Lee, 25 years old and two meters tall, arrives after an extraordinary season with Nagasaki Velca, averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals, while leading the Japanese league in both three-point percentage — an astonishing 47.9% — and total three-pointers made, with 187. His performance earned him a place on the league’s All-League First Team and the Best Three-Point Shooter award. Moreover, as a fitting capstone, he was champion and Finals MVP.
The South Korean international —as has become customary in recent years— also took part in the Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs, where his best performance came against Utah: 22 points, five rebounds and four three-pointers. In the weeks and months that followed, he had drawn interest from several teams and even reached out to the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans, but he ultimately chose Portland for the role and the development plan laid out by the franchise.
Trained at Davidson and undrafted in 2022 after suffering a foot injury a few days before the ceremony, Lee has already spent time in the G League, Australia and Japan. Now he will seek to become the second South Korean to appear in an NBA game. The lone exception to date has been Ha Seung-jin, who, curiously, also wore Portland’s jersey between 2004 and 2006.
