With the NBA's opening night deadline less than a week away, teams will be extremely busy finalizing their rosters ahead of the new season. Obviously, this suggests that several players are being cut in the process , and for the Los Angeles Clippers , the latest casualty has been Yuki Kawamura.
The Clippers recently announced that they have waived Yuki Kawamura, who had signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team . The Japanese point guard showed immense promise with his hustle and court vision. Unfortunately, his brief time in Los Angeles has come to an end.
Yuki Kawamura's departure isn't likely to have much of an effect on the Clippers' roster. However, for fellow Japanese national team player Rui Hachimura , news of Kawamura being waived was significant. Despite this, the Clippers' forward had a cold reaction to the guard's exit, as he commented :
"He really worked hard during training camp, so I want him to keep that up. Also, while chasing your dream is important, you have to make smart decisions. He's already 25 years old, so I want him to keep that in mind as he moves forward."
While Rui Hachimura extended his support to Yuki Kawamura and expressed his wishes to see the guard continue his efforts to improve, there was some concern in his tone. This concern could be attributed to the lack of opportunities for a player like Kawamura in the NBA.
Although Kawamura is immensely gifted and plays with a lot of spirit , at 5'7″, he isn't necessarily a favorable pick for NBA teams. When also noting that Kawamura turned down significantly larger contract offers from the Japanese B. League to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA, Hachimura seems to be warning his fellow national team representative to consider alternate routes.
After being waived, the 25-year-old will find himself on the free agent market, vying for a spot on another team. While joining a new team at this point in the season seems largely unlikely, there is some reason to believe that he could be headed for another assignment in the G League.
It is a common trend for teams to sign players on Exhibit 10 deals and then waive them to add them to their G League squads. In this regard, there is a growing expectation that Yuki Kawamura will be joining the Clippers' G League affiliate, the San Diego Clippers, this season.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue seemed quite excited by the prospect of having Kawamura join the Clippers' G League unit, as he stated :
"I would love to have him… He's a very good player. I don't think he gets a fair chance a lot because of his height and size. But he's a damn good basketball player. So, what he's been able to show and prove since he's been here, you saw it the other night in the Toronto game. He's been very good. So, it'd be good to have him around."
Yuki Kawamura's tenure with the Clippers was brief but significant. Although he didn't earn much playing time in his first preseason appearance against the Warriors , the guard earned a bigger opportunity on Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors .
In nearly 15 minutes of playing time, Yuki Kawamura recorded 10 points, four assists, and two steals while shooting 3-4 from the field and 1-2 from three-point range. Even though the Clippers lost this game 114-106, Kawamura's individual heroics were noteworthy.
It is in light of this performance that the 25-year-old's being waived seems disheartening. However, when noting his averages of 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in the G League, the San Diego Clippers are bound to benefit from adding him to their roster.
