Hyunjung Lee earns a massive shot to play in the NBA for the upcoming 2026-27 season, leaving Nagasaki Velca of the Japan B.League by signing an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.
South Korean fans are set for major anticipation heading into the next 2026-27 season, as their national sensation earned a golden opportunity to reach the NBA.
Hyunjung Lee, the sharpshooting ace from South Korea, has officially parted ways with Nagasaki Velca to pursue his NBA dream, the Japanese B.League franchise announced in a press release.
Nagasaki expressed full support for Lee after the 25-year-old star agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal to join the Portland Trail Blazers.
Hyunjung Lee joins Blazers in a training camp deal
Hyunjung Lee will join the Portland Trail Blazers via a training camp deal, competing for one of the team’s potential two-way roster spots ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The South Korean caught the attention of many as a fan favorite in the San Antonio Spurs’ 2026 Summer League outing, averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across eight games.
Before embracing San Antonio’s Summer League offer, Lee powered Nagasaki Velca’s first-ever B.League championship in the previous Japanese basketball season, taking home the Finals MVP honors, a spot in the B.League Season Best 5 (All-League Team), and the Asia Special Award.
He also played for two seasons in Australia, helping the Illawarra Hawks win the 2024-25 NBL title. Lee took a brief playing deal with another B.League team, the Osaka Evessa, in 2024.
Hyunjung Lee to fight for a Blazers, NBA roster spot before new season begins
Going to Portland will be a full-circle moment for Hyunjung Lee, as he previously played for the Blazers’ 2024 Summer League team.
He went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Davidson, but Lee earned a playing shot from the Golden State Warriors’ NBA G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, throughout the 2022-23 season.
Now, Lee is taking a prove-it approach to fulfill his ultimate NBA dream. If he makes the cut in the Blazers’ lineup, he will join Yang Hansen to form a rare and compelling Asian duo in Portland.
Before heading to the Blazers’ training camp, Lee will first headline the South Korea men’s national team in the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. He previously starred in the nation’s split two-game slate during the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
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