"Let's trade Lee Hyun-jung, our top prospect (overall No. 2)," even the opposing media was captivated... NBA Summer League: Four three-pointers, 'storming' 22 points

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Hyun-jung (26), the "ace" of the Korean national basketball team, delivered an explosive performance. Even local American media cheering for the opposing team were impressed.

On the 16th (Korean time), Lee played 22 minutes and 27 seconds in a 2026 NBA Summer League game between the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He recorded 22 points, five rebounds, two steals, and one block, including four three-pointers. The San Antonio Spurs defeated Utah 94-82, led by Lee's outstanding performance.

After leading Japan's B.League to the championship last season, Lee is continuing his challenge for an NBA entry while wearing a San Antonio jersey this summer.

Lee consistently made his presence felt throughout the Summer League and delivered the most impressive performance of the day. He surpassed the 20th-point mark for the first time in this Summer League, making four of seven three-point attempts for a high success rate of 57.1%. He also grabbed four offensive rebounds, demonstrating active movement on both ends of the court.

He did not rely solely on perimeter shooting. Lee moved vigorously on both offense and defense, recording rebounds, steals, and blocks across the board. His performance was more than enough to impress NBA officials with his value.

Even a local media outlet specializing in Utah Jazz news took notice of Lee's presence.

The Utah-based media outlet "SLC Dunk" evaluated the performances of Utah players after the game, giving top prospect Darrin Peterson a low grade of "C-."

Peterson was selected second overall in this year's NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and is considered an elite prospect expected to shoulder the team's future. However, he managed only 15 points and four rebounds on this day.

The media stated, "We were repeatedly disappointed with Peterson, who is supposed to carry Utah's future in this game," and added, "We won't ignore reality just because we support Utah. Peterson did not have a good game today."

In the process, Lee's name also came up. The media reported, "Actually, we almost titled this article 'Who would refuse a trade between Lee Hyun-jung and Darrin Peterson?' but decided against it to avoid being targeted by SLC Dunk's regular readers."

Of course, this was not a serious comparison of the actual trade values of Lee and Peterson. It was a joking remark aimed at highlighting Peterson's underperformance.

Nevertheless, the fact that Utah's top prospect selected second overall was compared to opposing player Lee Hyun-jung confirmed the strong impression Lee left on this day. His presence was so significant that even the opposing team's local media brought him up to compare with their own future.

Fans who attended the game also reacted enthusiastically to Lee's performance. Cheers calling out Lee's name erupted from the stands.

In an interview with local broadcasters after the game, Lee said, "I heard many fans in the arena chanting my name. It gave me great strength," expressing his gratitude.

Furthermore, despite his explosive performance, Lee was not satisfied. Even after scoring 22 points, he first recalled his missed shots. He reflected, "My shooting felt good throughout the game, but I was disappointed that I missed all three three-pointers I attempted in the fourth quarter."

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*This content was translated by AI.