Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura was canceled Clippersthe team announced Monday night (via Twitter). Movement opens the place on Los Angeles’ preseason roster, reducing the team’s roster to 20 players.
Kawamura, 25, spent most of the last two seasons on two-way contracts, first with the Grizzlies and then with the Bulls. Since making his debut with Memphis in October 2024, he has played in 40 regular season NBA games, including 18 last season with Chicago.
The 5-foot-7 guard has struggled to make an impact at the NBA level, averaging 2.5 points and 1.7 assists in 7.6 minutes per contest, with a career slash line of .341/.300/.857. He was much more productive in the G League, posting 18.7 ppg and 11.0 ppg in 11 games for the Windy City Bulls last season.
A fan favorite who played in Japan’s top domestic league – the B.League – before moving stateside, Kawamura was named the B.League’s Most Valuable Player in 2022/23 and then led the league in assists in 23/24. He teamed up with Rui Hachimura with the Clippers this fall after playing alongside Hachimura for Japan in World Cup qualifiers over the summer.
Kawamura has played in both of the Clippers’ preseason games and was effective off the bench in Saturday’s loss to Toronto, scoring 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting and dishing out four assists in 14 minutes.
Kawamura was on the an Agreement 10therefore, he will receive a $91,000 bonus if he chooses to play in the G League and spend at least 60 days with the Los Angeles affiliate, the San Diego Clippers.