Yuki Kawamura’s current NBA salary of $354,794 on a two-way Bulls contract is roughly seven times lower than what he earned in Japan – $2.5 million.
Chicago Bulls point guard Yuki Kawamura is on a two-way contract with the team after recovering from a blood clot. His one-year deal pays a base salary of $354,794 for the 2025-26 season, according to Spotrac.
As a two-way player, Kawamura splits his time between the NBA and the Windy City Bulls in the G League.
In his rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies, he earned $578,577, according to HoopsHype.
Before coming to the NBA, Kawamura made around $2.5 million in Japan during the 2023-24 season, per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
That means his current NBA salary is roughly seven times less than what he earned at home.
Kawamura was the B.League MVP in 2023 with the Yokohama B-Corsairs.
Credit ZUMAPRESS.com – Scanpix
For comparison, former NBA forward Yuta Watanabe is expected to earn up to $5 million this season after taxes playing in Japan with the Chiba Jets, according to Donatas Urbonas.
Watanabe’s net earnings in Japan even exceed the NBA median salary of $6.7 million before taxes (about $3.5-$4 million after taxes) and are close to the NBA’s average salary of $12 million (roughly $6 million post-tax).
Credit FIBA
This season, Kawamura has had limited opportunities with the Bulls.
He is averaging 3.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 33.3% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range across 11 games, playing 11 minutes per game.
At 5-foot-7 (1.70 m), Kawamura is currently the shortest player in the NBA. The 24-year-old recently admitted that being the shortest player in such an athletic league isn’t easy.
Still, Kawamura is seeing nearly three times more playing time in Chicago than he did last season with Memphis.
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