South Korean forward Lee Hyun-jung, who tormented Gilas Pilipinas in two friendly blowouts over the weekend, has inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, giving Asia’s reigning B.League Finals MVP a real shot at becoming the second South Korean ever to play in the league.
The signing
Portland announced the move after Lee’s contract with Japan’s Nagasaki Velca expired Monday, per the Korean forward’s agency, Epic Sports. An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, non-guaranteed agreement at the league minimum that lets a team evaluate a prospect through training camp and the preseason, and it can be converted into a two-way contract if Lee impresses the Blazers’ front office.
The 25-year-old is no stranger to Portland’s roster-building: a strong training camp could land him on a regular deal for the remainder of 2026-27, or earn a bonus if he is waived and joins the Blazers’ G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
Why Filipinos know the name
Lee suited up for the South Korean squad that routed Gilas in two Suwon tune-ups ahead of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya. In Korea’s 69-42 demolition of the Philippines, he posted an all-around line of 11 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and two steals, after finishing with six points, 15 boards, four dimes and a steal in the earlier 81-55 win.
| Game | Lee’s line | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Suwon friendly 1 (Sep 5) | 6 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl | Korea 81-55 |
| Suwon friendly 2 (Sep 6) | 11 pts, 15 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl | Korea 69-42 |
Road to the NBA
The 6-foot-7 wing played college ball at Davidson in the US NCAA, where he averaged 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 38.1% from three in his final season and became the program’s first 50-40-90 shooter a year earlier. He went undrafted in 2022, then built a globetrotting career through the G League, Australia’s NBL and Japan’s B.League before a 2026 NBA Summer League stint with the San Antonio Spurs.
His breakout came with Nagasaki Velca, where he powered the club to its first-ever B.League championship over the Ryukyu Golden Kings, taking Finals MVP honors with a team-high 23 points in the clincher.
What it means for Gilas and Kai Sotto
Lee could follow 7-foot-3 Ha Seung-jin, who played for Portland from 2004 to 2006, as only the second South Korean in the NBA. For Filipino fans, the subplot is closer to home: the man who just exposed Gilas’ interior is chasing a roster spot while Kai Sotto remains without a contract after his US NCAA move fell through, keeping both Asian bigs on parallel paths toward the same goal.
