Blazers News: Rip City Acquires Former College Standout in 3-Team Trade

The Remix are making moves.

Michigan State forward Gabe Brown (44) looks to pass against Davidson guard Hyunjung Lee (1) during the second half of Michigan State's 74-73 victory over Davidson in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. on Friday, March 18, 2022. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024-25 Portland Trail Blazers are already embracing the tank this year. The club has gotten off to a 1-3 start, and is angling to select a lottery pick in the draft for the fourth consecutive season under head coach Chauncey Billups. The top prize this season is Duke Blue Devils power forward Cooper Flagg, while Rutgers wings Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are seen as the next two top talents likely to declare for the league.

In the meantime, however, the Trail Blazers' G League club, the Rip City Remix, are staying active with far less marquee names.

The team has announced via its official X account that it has made a three-team trade with the New York Knicks' NBAGL affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, and the Golden State Warriors' G League squad, the Santa Cruz Warriors. In the deal, Rip City will obtain former Davidson College standout guard Lee Hyun-jung, plus a 2025 G League Draft first round pick and a 2025 G League Draft second round selection.

Hyun-jung, 24, played for the Wildcats from 2019-22. He was honored as an All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection during his final NCAA season, having posted impressive averages of 15.8 points on .474/.381/.777 shooting splits, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 steals a night in his 34 contests for the club (33 starts).

The 6-foot-7 swingman went unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft, and subsequently has suited up for the Santa Cruz Warriors during the 2022-23 season. Across 12 contests for Santa Cruz, Hyun-jung averaged 5.5 points on a .319/.292/.600 slash line, 4.2 boards, 1.7 dimes and 0.8 steals per bout.

Since then, he has played for the Illawarra Hawks of Australia's National Basketball League, while also playing briefly for Japanese club Osaka Evessa.

Former 2021 NBA Draft lottery pick James Bouknight is the biggest name headlining this year's announced Rip City training camp roster. In the 2024 NBA G League draft, the Remix drafted former G League Ignite guard Thierry Darlan with the No. 4 overall pick, plus former North Carolina center Sterling Manley and ex-Alabama A&M big man Olisa Blaise Akonobi in the second round. The Remix are also trying out undrafted rookies Cam Tyson, David Muoka, Ish Massoud and Tommy Bruner.

Just because an NBAGL club trades for a player's draft rights, however, does not necessarily mean that player will actually suit up for said G League team anytime soon, if at all. Hyun-jung is probably going to earn more cash with the Illawarra Hawks than he ever would in the G League, but being so close to an NBA team and its front office could help him earn an opportunity to play in the world's most competitive league.

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