Kofi Inkoom
Japanese guard Yuki Kawamura, a member of country’s Olympic team, has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, as announced by his current team, the Yokohama B-Corsairs on Tuesday.
Kawamura is set to sign the NBA contract with the Grizzlies in September. Until then, he will continue playing for the Japanese team. Last season, he averaged an impressive 20.9 points and 8.0 assists for the Yokohama B-Corsairs.
At 23 years old, Kawamura had an outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, scoring 29 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out six assists in Japan’s close game against France.
Standing at 5’8”, Kawamura was involved in a controversial foul call that led to Matthew Strazel’s four-point play in the final seconds of regulation. Kawamura maintained after the game that he did not foul Strazel, and video evidence supported his claim. France eventually won in overtime, 94-90.
An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal that does not count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season starts or provide a player with a bonus of up to $77,500 if he is waived and then spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate.