Yuki Kawamura signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Clippers after standing out as a playmaker for the Indiana Pacers at Summer League.
The Los Angeles Clippers signed Yuki Kawamura to an Exhibit 10 contract on Aug. 10. The Japanese point guard spent mid-July in Las Vegas with the Indiana Pacers, who invited him to their Summer League after finishing last season with the Chicago Bulls.
An Exhibit 10 is a one-year, non-guaranteed deal at minimum salary. A waived player before the regular season can get a bonus of up to about $91,000 if they spend at least 60 days with the organization's G League team. Los Angeles has the San Diego Clippers. The deal converts to a one-year, minimum contract if he remains on the roster.
Across five games for Indiana, Kawamura totaled 41 points and 24 assists against 10 turnovers. He shot 11-of-32 from the field and 1-of-13 from 3-point range. The 24 assists ranked 11th in the entire Summer League field and first among players who logged fewer than 100 minutes, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reported.
Speaking on the ESPN broadcast of Indiana's Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Kawamura knows how to draw contact.
"He's an easy guy to like," Carlisle said, via Scott Horner of The Indianapolis Star. "He just kind of explodes into the game. When the coach points to him on the bench, he just flies up to the scorer's table, and then stuff just happens. He really knows how to play."
"He's seeing things before they happen," Carlisle added. "He has a great sense for how to draw contact and put the defense in jail. He goes hard."
Kawamura arrived in Las Vegas without an NBA contract. He counted it as his third year in the league, with a coaching staff and an organization he had not worked with before.
"I like the system. I like playing fast, so I feel like it fits me," Kawamura said of Indiana's offense during a media session on July 8. "Everybody gets the rebound, pushes the ball, and gets out in transition. So, I feel like it fits me."
Kawamura, listed at 5-foot-7, has been the NBA's shortest player for the past two seasons and is still learning after three years.
"Honestly, when I was in Memphis three years ago, I didn't play much in the NBA," Kawamura explained. "But last year, I played in a couple of games and was part of the rotation. So, I feel like I have the confidence to play in the NBA right now.
"I'm still learning from every moment," Kawamura continued. "I just want to prove myself and show that size doesn't matter. Yeah, I'm still learning."
Chicago diagnosed a blood clot in Kawamura's lower right leg last October and waived him. He stayed in the city and rehabbed with the Bulls' medical staff for 12 weeks, then re-signed on a two-way contract in January once he was medically cleared. He played 18 games for Chicago, averaging 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 11.6 minutes. In 11 games for the Windy City Bulls, he averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 11.0 assists on .357/.349/.875 shooting.
Memphis signed him to an Exhibit 10 in fall 2024 and converted him to a two-way contract that October. He played 22 games as a rookie, averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 assists in 4.2 minutes, with career highs of 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists against Dallas on April 13, 2025. With the Memphis Hustle, he averaged 12.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists over 24 G League games, finished sixth in assists, and was chosen for the G League Up Next Game at 2025 All-Star Weekend. His G League career averages are 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 1.1 steals over 42 games.
Kawamura went undrafted in 2023 and played five seasons in Japan's B.League before signing in Memphis. Over 167 games with the San-en NeoPhoenix and the Yokohama B-Corsairs, he averaged 16.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. He was named B.League MVP in 2022-23. At the 2024 Paris Olympics he averaged 20.3 points and 7.7 assists for Japan and scored 29 points in an overtime group-stage loss to France.
Rui Hachimura, Kawamura's Japan national team teammate, signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in July. Los Angeles also has Darius Garland at point guard and drafted Illinois guard Keaton Wagler with the No. 5 pick in June, a selection that came from Indiana by way of the February trade that sent Ivica Zubac to the Pacers. The Clippers went 42-40 last season and lost in the Play-In Tournament.
Indiana filled one of its own roster questions in July by signing Jalen Slawson. Braden Smith, Ethan Thompson, and Kobe Brown remain in the mix for the last two two-way spots. The Pacers open the regular season Oct. 21 at New Orleans and host Dallas in their home opener Oct. 23.
