Chicago (AFP) – Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura has signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls after a strong NBA Las Vegas Summer League performance, the team announced on Saturday. The 24-year-old, who made his NBA debut last season with Memphis, played five games for the Bulls team in Vegas and averaged 10.2 points, 6.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals a game.
Kawamura delivered a team-best 31 assists, the second-most by any Bulls Summer League player since at least 2013, according to the club. He was one of only three players to average at least six assists and two steals in Summer League play. Last season, Kawamura averaged 1.6 points and 0.9 assists over 22 games off the bench for Memphis, with a best showing of 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists against Dallas on April 13.
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To make room on the roster, the Bulls released guard Jahmir Young. Before coming to the NBA, Kawamura played five seasons in Japan’s B League, the first campaign for San-en NeoPhoenix and the rest for Yokohama B-Corsairs, with career averages of 16.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds.
Kawamura played for Japan in last year’s Paris Olympics, where he ranked third overall with 20.3 points a game and shared third with 7.7 assists per contest — making him the only Paris Olympian to average 20 points and seven assists.
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