Los Angeles Clippers Sign Fan-Favorite Guard Amid Ben Simmons Rumors

The Los Angeles Clippers are adding depth to their training camp roster ahead of the 2026-2027 NBA season by signing fan-favorite point guard Yuki Kawamura on an Exhibit 10 contract. 

An NBA Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum salary deal given to training camp and preseason players. It allows teams to test players, secure their G League rights if waived, or convert the deal into a two-way contract.

It is also considered a training camp deal, one that former Clippers forward Ben Simmons has been rumored to have earned from a Western Conference team after impressing in numerous workouts.

The Clippers is one of the teams rumored to be interested in getting back Simmons after a year of battling injuries. 

Yuki Kawamura Is Fresh From The Summer League

GettyWASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 09: Head coach Billy Donovan and Yuki Kawamura #8 of the Chicago Bulls react during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on April 9, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Kawamura played in the Summer League last July with the Indiana Pacers. In five games, he put up 8.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 17.5 minutes played.

During the 2025-2026 NBA season, the guard played with the Chicago Bulls. Yuki Kawamura overcame an early-season lower leg blood clot to play 18 games, averaging 3.4 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game. 

He also excelled in the G-League with the Windy City Bulls, averaging a double-double of 18.7 points and 11.0 assists.

Kawamura starred for Japan’s national basketball team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, capturing attention with his fearless style and elite shot-making despite standing only 5-foot-8. He averaged 20.3 points, 7.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game during the tournament. There, he had battles with Victor Wembanyama of France, impressing in their time against each other. 

That tournament earned him to be in the NBA radar. 

By signing with the Clippers, Kawamura will reunite with fellow Japanese Rui Hachimura, who signed a two-year, $28 million contract in free agency. Hachimura played three years with the Los Angeles Lakers before moving to the Clippers. 

Yuki Kawamura Leaves Good Impression WIth The Indiana Pacers Before Signing With The Clippers

GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Yuki Kawamura #8 of the Chicago Bulls looks on during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Yuki Kawamura has earned a fan in his Summer League stint. That fan is Indiana Pacers head coach and former NBA champion Rick Carlisle. 

Carlisle said that Kawamura has been an easy player to like, lauding him for being an instant spark plug whenever he is on the floor. 

“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.”

Carlisle also commended Kawamura’s vision on the court as the team’s point guard. 

“He is seeing things before they happen. He has a great sense for how to draw contact and put the defense in jail. He goes hard,” he added. 

Kawamura must now work and grind his way to a two-way contract or a standard NBA contract before the season starts in October. 

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