South Korean basketball star Hyunjung Lee has taken another significant step towards his NBA dream after agreeing to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Japanese B.League club Nagasaki Velca announced that the 25-year-old sharpshooter had officially parted ways with the team to pursue the NBA opportunity. The club also expressed its support for Lee as he prepares for his latest attempt to earn a place in the league.
Lee will join Portland on a training camp deal and compete for one of the team’s potential two-way roster spots. The opportunity comes after he impressed during the San Antonio Spurs’ 2026 Summer League campaign, where he averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists across eight appearances.
His move follows a successful spell in Japan. Lee helped Nagasaki Velca capture its first B.League championship last season and was named Finals MVP. He was also selected to the B.League Season Best 5 and received the Asia Special Award.
Before joining Nagasaki, Lee spent two seasons in Australia and was part of the Illawarra Hawks side that won the 2024-25 NBL championship. He also had a brief stint with Japanese club Osaka Evessa in 2024.
The move to Portland will not be unfamiliar territory for Lee. He previously represented the Trail Blazers during the 2024 Summer League.
Lee went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft after playing college basketball at Davidson. He subsequently received an opportunity with the Golden State Warriors’ G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, during the 2022-23 season.
His latest chance with Portland now puts him back in contention for an NBA roster spot. Should Lee make the Blazers’ lineup, he would join Yang Hansen in Portland, creating a notable Asian combination on the roster.
Before turning his attention fully to Portland’s training camp, Lee is set to lead the South Korean men’s national team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. He also recently featured for South Korea during the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
After success in Australia and Japan and several previous attempts to break into the NBA, Lee now enters another crucial opportunity to make the jump. His training camp stint with Portland will give him the chance to turn his latest NBA audition into a roster place for the 2026-27 season.
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