LG renews contract with FA's biggest fish Lee Jae-do

Changwon LG is expected to renew its contract with Lee Jae-do, one of the FA's biggest fish. Unless something unexpected happens, Lee Jae-do will wear an LG uniform.

"LG and Lee Jae-do seem to have reached an agreement on the FA contract. Unless something unexpected happens, Lee Jae-do is highly likely to renew his contract with LG," a professional basketball source said on Wednesday.

Lee Jae-do, who played at Yongsan High School and Hanyang University, was an offensive point guard with the highest speed in college. He displayed strong penetration and quick attack capability. Lee Jae-do, who was drafted by the Busan KT as the fifth pick in the 2013 first round, has continued to improve every season.

Lee Jae-do, who was traded to KGC (currently chief of staff) in November 2017, has established himself as KGC's main guard since his discharge from military service. In particular, he ranked first in contribution to domestic players during the 2020-2021 season, and KGC achieved a perfect 10-game playoff victory as a luxurious member. Lee Jae-do was the main player.

Lee Jae-do, who became a free agent in 2021, signed a three-year contract with Changwon LG for an annual salary of 700 million won. Lee was a "golden bull" in all three seasons. He played in all 54 regular league games.

In the first season of his transfer, he averaged 13.4 points, 4.6 assists, and 1.5 steals while playing an average of 30 minutes and 20 seconds in 54 games during the 2022-2023 season. He scored an average of 13.4 points.

He also scored an average of 11.0 points this season by playing an average of 25 minutes and 15 seconds.

Under Coach Cho Sang-hyun, Lee Jae-do was solid as an "outer ace." LG ranked second in the regular league for two consecutive seasons, with strong defense centered on Lee Jae-do outside the league and Asem Marei under the basket.

After the end of this season, Lee Jae-do has become a free agent again. He was considered one of the biggest fish in the free agent market this season along with Kang Sang-jae and Kim Jong-kyu (DB) and Park Ji-hoon (Director Jeong). 스포츠토토

Some teams wanted Lee Jae-do, but the bleeding was not easy. His annual salary last season was 600 million won. He is an FA ranked within 30th in annual salary. If Lee Jae-do is hired, he has to pay LG 300 million won, which is 50 percent of his annual salary, and 1.2 billion won, which is 200 percent of his annual salary. Aside from that, Lee Jae-do wanted to stay in LG. His affection for his team has not cooled down. LG, which swallowed a base in the semifinals of this season's playoffs, also needed Lee Jae-do. With Jung Hee-jae gone and Yang Hong-seok and Yoon Won-sang about to join the military, Lee Jae-do, an ace outfielder, was essential.

A professional basketball source said, "Lee Jae-do wanted to stay at LG. LG also needed an outfielder Lee Jae-do, who played 54 games for three consecutive seasons. For this reason, the two sides seem to have reached an agreement smoothly. An official announcement will be made soon."