Yuki Kawamura has returned to the NBA.
The Chicago Bulls re-signed the Japanese point guard to a two-way contract this week. The acquisition comes after Kawamura, 24, was given a medical exemption following a 12-week recovery from a blood clot in his lower right leg, which was initially diagnosed in October.
Although he was waived at the time, Kawamura remained in Chicago and went through the entire recovery process with the Bulls' medical team. Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls always intended to re-sign Kawamura once he was fully healthy.
At 5 feet 8 inches, Kawamura is the shortest player in the NBA.
The Chicago Bulls are forced to play small again. Absence makes the heart love double lineups.
“You always take these things seriously,” Donovan said. “He worked really, really hard. I'm happy for him because in that moment when you have something like that, you just don't know what it's going to look like in the future. I'm just glad things worked out well for him.”
Blood clots are a serious condition that typically requires athletes to spend months off the court. This is a rare but not unheard of problem in the NBA. San Antonio Spurs star Victor Vembanyama missed the last two months of the 2024–25 season after discovering a blood clot in his shoulder.
When athletes are diagnosed with a blood clot, they are prescribed blood thinning medications to help the body go through the clotting process naturally. The medications increase a person's risk of severe internal bleeding from a blow or collision, meaning athletes cannot return to full activity until they stop taking anticoagulants.
Donovan noted that Kawamura could play basketball during this time, but the Bulls' medical staff did not allow any contact with the guard during his recovery. After receiving medical clearance from the league, Kawamura was able to successfully participate in training with the Windy City Bulls in the G League.
The guard's return could not have happened sooner. The Bulls are short on guards, with Coby White limited by a calf injury and Josh Giddey out with a left hamstring strain. Backup guard Tre Jones has been added to the starting lineup, but the Bulls prefer to limit his workload to closer to 25 minutes. Ayo Dosunmu and Matas Bouzelis also contributed as playmakers, but this role is less natural for both flanks.
As a pass-first point guard who takes most of his shots from beyond the arc, Kawamura may be a natural short-term solution to the problem for the Bulls backcourt. Initially the team signed a two-way contract with Kawamura in July after good results in the summer league.
“We're definitely going to need another ball handler,” Donovan said. “That would help. He's obviously played in the league. I want to see where he's at physically – he's obviously had a long period without any live action – but it'll probably take him a little bit of time to get back into rhythm. But I don't mind (playing with Kawamura) as long as we continue to deal with some of the things we've been dealing with in our backcourt.”
