Korean B-Leaguers Park Jae-hyun, Chun Ki-beom, Lee Jung-je, and Jeon Jeon-joon have all been released as free agents.
The Japanese B.League 2022-2023 season is down to the finals between the Chiba Jets and the Ryukyu Golden Kings. The B2.League and B3.League, the second and third divisions, have already ended.
As the season comes to an end, teams are announcing their free agent rosters one by one. Korean B.League players Park Jae-hyun (Niigata), Chun Ki-beom (Fukushima), Lee Jung-je (Tokyo Z), and Jeon Jeon-joon (Iwate), who played in Japan last season, have all been released as free agents.
To put it bluntly, they weren’t exactly the most competitive players on the team. Park Jae-hyun and Chun Ki-beom were the only ones who played well, bouncing between the starting lineup and the bench. Park joined the team midway through the season and averaged 3.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 11:28 minutes in 17 games. Chun Ki-beom, who went to Japan after a DUI case, averaged 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 13:37 minutes in 58 games.
Lee Jeong-je and Jeon Jeon-joon saw little playing time. Lee Jung-je only averaged 6:13 minutes in 11 games, while Jeon Jeon-joon didn’t live up to expectations with 2.3 points and 1.0 assists in 12:05 minutes in three games. He spent a lot of time on the bench as he lost the competition for the starting role.
Park Jae-hyun, Cheon Ki-beom, Lee Jung-je, and Jeon Jeon-joon will need to find a new team if they want to continue their careers. Park, Lee, and Jeon are also eligible for free agency in the KBL. Park and Lee have yet to receive offers, while Jeon has announced his retirement. Chun Ki-beom also went to Japan after retiring last season.
Most of these players reportedly want to continue their careers in Japan. Signing with a B.League team, which is dominated by naturalized players and Filipinos, is virtually impossible, so they are expected to contact B2 or B3 League teams.
Meanwhile, Utsunomiya Brex’s Yang Jae-min signed a two-year contract with the team last year, so he will continue to play in the B.League next season. Yang will be eligible for free agency after the end of the new season. 스포츠토토