Free agent guard Saben Lee has officially signed with Turkish team Manisa Basket (Instagram link). The move had long been anticipated, with Tolis Kotzias of SDNA.gr (Twitter link) reporting in early August that Lee was close to finalizing a deal with the club.
The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee has spent the past four seasons playing for the Pistons, Sixers, and Suns. The 6’2″ guard finished the most recent season on a two-way contract with Phoenix and appeared in 24 NBA games for the Suns.
Across his four seasons in the NBA, Lee appeared in 134 total regular season games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per contest. An unreliable jump shot hindered his ability to earn regular rotation minutes, as he posted a career shooting line of just .421/.271/.734.
Lee’s four years of NBA service meant he was no longer eligible for a two-way deal in 2024/25, which may have been a factor in his inability to find a roster spot stateside.
Lee is joining a Manisa club that will be competing in the Basketball Champions League – in addition to Turkey’s Basketball Super League – for the first time next season. Manisa Basket posted a 16-14 mark in domestic play last season, finishing sixth out of 16 Turkish teams. The club was eliminated in the first round of the postseason by Besiktas.