Clippers Waive Yuki Kawamura

Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura has been waived by the Clippers, the team announced on Monday night (via Twitter). The move opens up a spot on L.A.’s preseason roster, reducing the team’s roster count to 20 players.

Kawamura, 25, has spent most of the past two seasons on two-way contracts, first with the Grizzlies and then with the Bulls. He has made 40 NBA regular season appearances since making his debut for Memphis in October 2024, including 18 last season for Chicago.

The 5’7″ point 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 shooting line of .341/.300/.857. He has been far more productive in the G League, having put up 18.7 PPG and 11.0 APG in 11 outings for the Windy City Bulls last season.

A fan favorite who starred in Japan’s top domestic league – the B.League – before making the move 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 competing alongside Hachimura on the Japanese national team in World Cup qualifiers during the summer.

Kawamura appeared in both of the Clippers’ preseason games so far and was effective off the bench in Saturday’s loss to Toronto, scoring 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting and handing out four assists in 14 minutes of action.

Kawamura was on an Exhibit 10 contract, so he’d receive a $91K bonus if he opts to play in the G League and spends at least 60 days with L.A.’s affiliate, the San Diego Clippers.