Lee Hyun-jung Signs Exhibit 10 Deal with Portland Trail Blazers

Portland signs Lee to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed South Korean forward Lee Hyun-jung to a one-year, non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract that carries an invitation to the team's training camp, according to reports confirmed by his agency Epic Sports. The deal gives the 25-year-old a chance to compete for a spot on Portland's NBA roster or earn a path to a two-way contract, which would allow him to split time between the NBA and the G League. If Lee fails to secure either an NBA or two-way spot, he is expected to play for the Trail Blazers' G League affiliate, Rip City Remix.

Financial terms and contract structure

Under an Exhibit 10 agreement, a player who makes the NBA roster receives the rookie minimum salary of $1.35 million, while a conversion to a two-way deal would set compensation at half of that figure, payable for time split between the NBA and the G League. A player assigned to the G League affiliate can earn a bonus of up to $77,500 for remaining with the team for at least 60 days, on top of a G League salary of approximately $46,000. Epic Sports said Lee had initially targeted a two-way contract but described the Exhibit 10 agreement as "an important starting point" for his attempt to establish an NBA career.

Path from Japan and the Summer League

Lee left Japanese B.League club Nagasaki Velca, which announced his departure to pursue the NBA opportunity after he helped the team capture its first B.League championship and was named Finals MVP. He also earned B.League Season Best 5 honors and the Asia Special Award during his time in Japan. Lee had previously represented the Trail Blazers in the 2024 Summer League and, this summer, played for the San Antonio Spurs' Summer League squad in Las Vegas, averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists across eight appearances, before attending mini-camps with the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans in an unsuccessful bid for a two-way contract.

College career and family basketball background

Lee spent three seasons at Davidson College, where as a sophomore he posted 50-40-90 shooting splits of 50.8 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line, the first Davidson player to reach those marks. He earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2022 before declaring for the NBA draft, where he went undrafted after suffering a foot injury shortly before the draft. His mother, Seong Jeong-a, helped South Korea win silver in basketball at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and his father, Lee Yun-hwan, played semi-professional basketball in the 1980s before becoming a prominent high school coach.

Next steps with Portland and South Korea

Lee is set to represent South Korea at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the men's basketball tournament scheduled to begin Thursday, before reporting to Portland for training camp. Only one South Korean has previously played in the NBA, former 7-foot-3 center Ha Seung-jin, who appeared in 46 games across two seasons after being selected 46th overall by the Trail Blazers in the 2004 draft.