The Los Angeles Clippers have waived Yuki Kawamura, one of the bench players who stood out in Vancouver, two days before the Clippers’ final preseason game against the Denver Nuggets. The team announced the Clippers waive Yuki Kawamura move on Monday night, according to Hoops Rumors and Kyodo News. It brings the preseason roster down to 20 players. Kawamura is expected to join the team’s G League affiliate, the San Diego Clippers.
The timing stands out. In our Clippers vs Nuggets preview, Kawamura was the first name on the list of reserves who outplayed the starters in Saturday’s 114-106 loss to the Toronto Raptors. He scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting with four assists in 14 minutes, a line reported by Hoops Rumors and Kyodo News and listed in the ESPN and CBS Sports box scores. He was plus-12 in those minutes. Two days later, he was released.
Clippers Waive Yuki Kawamura: The Contract Details
Kawamura was on an Exhibit 10 contract, a non-guaranteed preseason deal that Kyodo News says he signed in August. Exhibit 10 deals let a team bring a player to camp and then pay him a bonus if he is waived and spends time with the team’s G League affiliate. Hoops Rumors reports that Kawamura would receive a $91,000 bonus if he chooses to play in the G League and spends at least 60 days with San Diego.
That fits what Kyodo News reported: the 25-year-old is expected to join San Diego, where he can keep making the case for an NBA call-up. Neither the Clippers nor Kawamura has publicly confirmed that he will report to San Diego, so for now it is an expectation, not a done deal.
Who Is Yuki Kawamura?
Kawamura is a 5-foot-7 point guard from Japan. Before coming to the NBA he starred in Japan’s B.League, where he was named Most Valuable Player in 2022-23 and led the league in assists in 2023-24, according to Hoops Rumors. He played for Japan at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kyodo News notes, and made his NBA debut with the Memphis Grizzlies in October 2024 on a two-way contract.
Last season he played 18 games for the Chicago Bulls, also on a two-way deal. Hoops Rumors lists 40 NBA regular-season appearances across two seasons. For his career he averages 2.5 points and 1.7 assists in 7.6 minutes, with a shooting line of .341/.300/.857. Kyodo News reports his Chicago numbers as 3.4 points and 2.6 assists in about 11 minutes a game. In the G League he has been far more productive: 18.7 points and 11.0 assists per game in 11 games for the Windy City Bulls last season, according to Hoops Rumors.
He also had a teammate he knew well in Los Angeles. Rui Hachimura, his Japan national team teammate, joined the Clippers in free agency after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, and the two played together in World Cup qualifiers over the summer, per Hoops Rumors.
Why the Clippers Made the Move
The Clippers have not explained the decision, and Tyronn Lue has not spoken about it publicly yet. The most likely reason is roster math. NBA teams have to cut down to 15 standard contracts and three two-way deals before the regular season, and a small guard on an Exhibit 10 deal had an uphill path to one of those spots. Waiving him now, instead of after Wednesday’s game, also gives the coaching staff one more game to look at the players still competing for the final spots. That is our reading of the situation, not something the team has said.
The guard depth chart also played a part. Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Cam Christie, Blake Wesley and rookie Keaton Wagler are all on the roster. Bradley Beal and Kobe Sanders are day-to-day with injuries and could return on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s injury report. Once those two are healthy, there were few minutes left for a fifth or sixth point guard.
Who Is Still Competing
With Kawamura gone, these are the bench players to watch Wednesday:
- Jahmyl Telfort: signed an Exhibit 10 deal to compete for a regular-season spot, per CBS Sports. He was plus-15 in 10 minutes in Vancouver, with two points and five rebounds.
- Nick Martinelli: on a two-way contract. He scored nine points in 16 minutes against Toronto, including 4-of-4 at the line.
- Baba Miller: 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block in 16 minutes in Vancouver.
- Blake Wesley: six points and two assists, plus-11 in 16 minutes. He was part of the all-bench closing unit Hoops Nightly described.
Those numbers come from the ESPN and CBS Sports box scores, which match. No further cut has been reported as of Tuesday morning.
Wednesday Against Denver
The Clippers (1-1) host the Nuggets (2-1) on Wednesday, October 14, at 7:30 p.m. PT at Intuit Dome, on NBA TV and KTLA, according to NBA.com. It is the last preseason game before the regular-season opener at home against the Sacramento Kings on October 21.
The injury list has not changed since our preview. Beal (right knee) and Sanders (left hip) are day-to-day on ESPN’s report with an estimated return of October 14. Max Strus (right foot), Brandon Ingram (Achilles), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) and Jordan Miller (left shoulder) are out.
Denver brings Nikola Jokic, who had 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, per CBS Sports and ESPN. After Toronto grabbed 18 offensive rebounds against the Clippers on Saturday, the glass is the clearest test.
What to Watch
- Who takes Kawamura’s minutes. If Wagler or Wesley moves into the backup point guard spot, that tells you how Lue sees the rotation.
- Telfort’s minutes. An Exhibit 10 player who gets real minutes in the last game is still in the running.
- Beal and Sanders. If they play, the guard rotation is set. If not, Lue needs another plan for opening night.
- Any more cuts. The Clippers are at 20 and need to keep cutting before October 21.
Wagler, who is likely to take on more of the backup point guard work, hit the game-winner in Honolulu. Here it is from the Clippers’ official channel:
Unconfirmed
- Whether Kawamura reports to the San Diego Clippers. Kyodo News says he is expected to.
- Why the Clippers waived him now. The team has not explained it, and the roster-math reasoning above is our analysis.
- Whether Beal and Sanders play Wednesday. October 14 is ESPN’s estimate, not a clearance.
- Which other players will be cut before the regular season.
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