Grizzlies Make Yuki Kawamura Announcement After 20 NBA Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Elie Deglaoui | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 6:42 PM ET

As they prepare for their battle against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night to begin the second half of the season, the Memphis Grizzlies are hoping that their momentum will carry over. The Grizzlies are 36-18 and own the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Furthermore, they are the highest-scoring offense in the NBA and rank as a top-10 team on both sides of the ball. They have also won 11 of their last 14 games.

After missing the playoffs last season (though that was largely due to injuries), the Grizzlies have reminded the basketball world exactly how good they can be. Memphis will aim to continue doing so the rest of the way, and it all starts against the Pacers. However, according to the team's injury report, they will hope to do so without one of their fan favorites.

The Grizzlies officially announced that they are sending rookie Yuki Kawamura, who is on a two-way contract, back to the G League. Kawamura appeared in three of Memphis' last five games before the All-Star break.

In the Grizzlies' 14-point loss to the LA Clippers before the break, Kawamura receive just 57 seconds of playing time, and now heads back to the G League where he will play much more.

Status Report: @memgrizz at @Pacers, February 20: pic.twitter.com/2tmAqCRnCd
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) February 19, 2025

The Japanese native has appeared in 20 games for the Grizzlies this season, though there is not much home to write about as he is averaging just 3.2 minutes across that span. Regardless, the 5-foot-8 guard is putting up a solid campaign in the G League, averaging 13.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists.

Kawamura still has a lot of room to grow, especially regarding his efficiency as a scorer. However, he brings a lot of energy onto the court and has shown flashes at times. Hopefully for him, he will have the chance to prove he is an everyday NBA player. Unfortunately, he will have to wait a little bit longer to get this opportunity.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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