Yuki Kawamura Earns Deal With Clippers After Impressing With Pacers

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 13: Yuki Kawamura #8 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the shot against Tyreke Key #11 of the Toronto Raptors during the 2nd half of a 2026 NBA Summer League crippled astatine the Thomas & Mack Center connected July 13, 2026 successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

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LAS VEGAS – While the Indiana Pacers were taking connected the Philadelphia 76ers successful summertime convention action, fans were entertained by much than conscionable the basketball. On the sidelines, respective members of the Pacers NBA roster were celebrating the capacity of 1 peculiar summertime convention talent.

It was Yuki Yawamura, a summertime Pacers defender pinch 2 years of NBA acquisition – 1 pinch the Memphis Grizzlies, the different pinch the Chicago Bulls. Kawamura forced a backcourt usurpation pinch pesky defense, tossed immoderate dazzling passes, and deed a propulsion up 3 each wrong 1 short agelong of play.

That, of course, was entertaining. On the sidelines, location was different show wholly – the celebrations of Jay Huff, Obi Toppin, Pascal Siakam, and respective different Pacers players each watching Kawamura do his thing.

“Just a move player. Really, really fast,” Pacers summertime convention caput coach Bryce Taylor said of Kawamura. “Very clever, very smart pinch the basketball.”

Kawamura draws a grin retired of anyone who is asked astir him. Rienk Mast, a summertime convention standout for the Pacers, was giving earnest answers during a postgame property convention aft a conflict pinch the summertime type of the Toronto Raptors until he was asked astir Kawamura.

Mast lit up. It was his biggest grin since the crippled ended. Those 2 linked up during galore pick-and-rolls passim summertime league, utilizing their little clip together to build chemistry.

“He’s spectacular. He’s truthful fun,” Mast, who has reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 statement pinch the Pacers, said. “The measurement he plays offense, it’s benignant of magic sometimes.”

Mast described Kawamura arsenic a bully feline who plays hoops the correct way. His characteristic and unsocial playstyle are some alluring. Everyone enjoyed hitting the tribunal pinch him – and Pacers two-way statement defender Braden Smith loved going against him successful believe settings.

Those traits make Kawamura a awesome teammate connected the court. His passing expertise connects his dazzling shot handling pinch his teammates’ play finishing. And his effort is contagious, though it is simply a request for personification of his height.

Part of what makes Kawamura’s feats truthful awesome to observe is that tallness – he sits astatine conscionable five-foot-seven-inches, according to Basketball Reference. That makes him the league’s shortest progressive player, and only 4 players shorter than 5’7 person ever played successful the NBA.

“Yuki’s really nosy to play with. Like Braden, he useful his tail off,” Pacers guardant Jalen Slawson said. “He’s undersized, and he conscionable doesn’t care.”

And yet location he is, connected the tribunal successful Las Vegas stealing the show. Kawamura averaged 8.2 points and 4.8 assists per crippled for the Pacers crossed 5 appearances. He battled connected defense, too, but his ratio was lacking.

Still, he popped erstwhile again pinch his passing and dependable handedness. And that’s why he’ll beryllium connected an NBA roster for training campy successful 2026, signing an Exhibit 10 statement pinch the LA Clippers earlier this month.

What does Kawamura bring to the Clippers?

In LA, Kawamura will subordinate fellow Japanese NBA subordinate Rui Hachimura, who signed pinch the Clippers earlier successful the offseason. By quality of his Exhibit 10 deal, it will beryllium reliable for Kawamura to make the Clippers regular play roster. They person a afloat complement of modular statement players and person signed 3 talents to two-way deals already.

But Kawamura will get different chance to beryllium himself and much opportunities to thief a squad win. That’s each he wants.

“I conscionable want to lend to winning for the team,” Kawamura said aft a Pacers summertime convention nonaccomplishment to the Raptors. He later noted his belief that he played terribly successful the game, often proving to beryllium his biggest critic.

“I conscionable want to win. I conscionable want to play the correct way,” he added later. “I conscionable want to lend to the team.”

Even though Kawamura has 40 games of NBA acquisition nether his belt, he still admits that he’s learning really to win against taller players. It’s a never-ending situation for the 25-year aged – connected 1 play, he will make a terrific walk to group up points for his team. On the next, his changeable effort will beryllium easy blocked.

One point he isn’t learning is leadership. Thanks to his aggregate years of pro experience, he was an important sound for the Pacers during summertime convention play. As they transitioned from 1 caput coach to different conscionable earlier heading to Las Vegas, Kawamura’s expertise to supply immoderate guidance was important.

He had 8 points and 4 assists successful the Pacers first summertime convention game, helping the squad return down the Cleveland Cavaliers. Taylor had been the caput coach of that group for astir 2 days astatine the time.

“I conscionable want to meet expectations from them,” Kawamura said of his teammates. “It’s amazing. They’re truthful nice. They’re awesome teammates. I emotion playing pinch them.”

Smith believes that Kawamura impacted winning passim summertime league, and it’s 1 of the traits he hoped to return from the older constituent guard. One different point Smith picked up? A small spot of Japanese. He learned really to opportunity “good morning,” from Kawamura. Slawson picked up a spot of the connection too.

In 2 NBA seasons, Kawamura has averaged 2.5 points and 1.7 assists per game. His G League assistance numbers reached astir 11 per crippled this past play – his passing is elite, and it becomes contagious.

So is his spirit. That’s why Kawamura’s teammates emotion him and why members of the Pacers were going crazy watching him play. “Everyone feeds disconnected that type of energy,” Taylor said. The Clippers will now effort to move that power into wins, arsenic Kawamura prefers.