Yuki Kawamura's Chances of Making the Clippers Roster After Signing a Camp Deal

Even though the LA Clippers are mostly waiting for the Kawhi Leonard saga to resolve and the trade with the Raptors to go through to finalize their offseason, they are still keeping their options open. There may still be moving parts between now and the start of the season, including changes to the roster.

One of those could come in the form of a global fan favorite. On Sunday, the Clippers announced the signing of Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura to an Exhibit 10 contract, first reported by NBA insider Tony East.

Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed training camp deals. Players can spend training camp and the preseason with their new teams. Before the start of the season, the team can convert these players to a two-way deal, sign them to a standard contract, or waive them. If they are waived before the season begins and spend 60 days with the team's G League affiliate, they get a bonus.

So, it's essentially an extended tryout. Kawamura will now have a chance to impress the Clippers or another team around the league over the next two months. If he isn't able to land a new deal, there is a good chance he would start the season in the G League with the San Diego Clippers.

Who Is Yuki Kawamura?

Kawamura has been an intriguing figure and a global sensation ever since he stepped into the league with the Grizzlies in the 2024 offseason. At five-foot-seven, Kawamura is the shortest player in the NBA by a significant margin. The grit, joy, and confidence he plays with have earned him a lot of fans in his previous stops.

After a season with the Grizzlies, Kawamura spent last year with the Bulls, appearing in 18 games. Since he was on a two-way contract with both Memphis and Chicago, Kawamura has also spent a lot of time in the G League. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 31.8 minutes per game in his G League stints.

He was also on the Pacers' Summer League team this year in Las Vegas. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.8 assists per game in 17.5 minutes per game in five appearances.

Kawamura is a traditional, pass-first point guard. He provides playmaking, ball-handling, and pick-and-roll ability.

But his lack of athletic and physical tools obviously limits his effectiveness. He is very inefficient from inside the arc and struggles to create good shots for himself. Understandably, he is a poor finisher, making him overly reliant on his jump shot to be efficient. Since he is also a bad defender due to his lack of size and physicality, his NBA path has been rocky so far.

Can He Make the Clippers' Roster?

The Clippers don't have a clear need for another point guard with questionable defense. In addition to Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler, they just signed Jalen Pickett to a two-way contract. They also had Sean Pedulla, a player similar to Kawamura, on a two-way deal, but they just released him last week.

So, it's difficult to see Kawamura making enough of an impact to earn himself a spot. The Clippers currently don't have an open roster spot or a two-way slot. They could create one by moving on from someone, but point guard is not a top priority for the Clippers right now.

There could obviously be unexpected developments or injuries that give Kawamura a chance to earn himself a spot.

Plus, he has the added benefit of being Rui Hachimura's teammate on the Japanese national team. The Clippers could be seeing the Hachimura-Kawamura duo as an opportunity that has off-court advantages. Perhaps they may be more open to using a two-way roster spot on Kawamura for business reasons.

I don't expect Kawamura to have a standard or a two-way deal with the Clippers when the season starts, but the possibility shouldn't be ruled out. It's a storyline worth keeping an eye on.

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