The Indiana Pacers have a full roster heading into the NBA Summer League, but that’s not stopping head coach Rick Carlisle from scouting players.
One of the players who caught Carlisle’s eyes is Yuki Kawamura, the 5-foot-7 point guard from Japan with 40 NBA games to his name. Kawamura joined the Pacers’ Summer League team after stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls in the past two seasons.
Kawamura is averaging 10.0 points and 3.5 assists in his first two Summer League games. The Pacers are 1-1 and have two more games against the Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rick Carlisle on Yuki Kawamura’s Summer League Stint
GettyYuki Kawamura #8 of the Chicago Bulls reacts during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Speaking on the ESPN broadcast of the Indiana Pacers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers, coach Rick Carlisle had nothing but praise for Yuki Kawamura. Carlisle likes the effort he sees from Kawamura, as well as the way he sees the game.
“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.
“He’s seeing things before they happen. He has a great sense for how to draw contact and put the defense in jail. He goes hard.”
Carlisle will have some tough decisions to make after the Summer League and ahead of training camp. Kawamura isn’t the only player to make some noise for the Pacers in Las Vegas.
Jalen Slawson is coming off a fantastic game, putting up 26 points, five rebounds and one block on 8-for-16 shooting. He’s averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 3.0 blocks.
Yuki Kawamura’s NBA Journey
GettyYuki Kawamura #17 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at FedExForum on January 06, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee.
At 5-foot-7, Yuki Kawamura was the smallest player in the NBA for the past two seasons. His height has not stopped him from going up against giants in the league.
Kawamura began his NBA journey in 2023, going undrafted and returning to Japan. He signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2024 and earned a two-way contract with them. He played 22 games as a rookie, averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 assists.
After his stint with the Grizzlies, Kawamura joined the Chicago Bulls last year and played for their Summer League team. The Bulls signed him to a two-way contract, but he mainly played for their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.
In 18 games for Chicago, Kawamura averaged 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He was more dominant for the Windy City, averaging 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game.
And now, Kawamura is trying to earn another contract, this time with the Indiana Pacers. If he somehow gets signed, he’ll be a third-string point guard behind Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell.
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