"Used him for motion and then ditched him": NBA fans slam Bulls for waiving Japanese sensation Yuki Kawamura

When Yuki Kawamura first saw NBA action as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, he won over fans' respect with his solid shooting and rapport with star Ja Morant. Now, Kawamura is no longer part of the Grizzlies roster; as a matter of fact, he is not part of any NBA roster at the moment.

On Friday, news broke of Kawamura (who was diagnosed to have a lower leg issue) being waived by the Chicago Bulls, the team that he had played preseason games with. This move by the Bulls did not go over well with some fans, who expressed their feelings online.

"Used him for motion then ditched him classless just like Jorbum," one fan tweeted.

Lucro 💫

@PlayoffLucro

Used him for motion then ditched him classless just like Jorbum

wahpaks

@wahpaks

You had to post this as if he is being signed? With matching photo? Just here for the clicks, smh🤨🤦

Elena 🇺🇸

@Eleanor04066972

Tough pill to swallow. Yuki dazzled with no-look passes and swift handles, captivating us from day one. Thanks for the magic; you'll dominate defenses elsewhere soon. Best of luck, Yuki!👊

Im ReallyThe Goat

@GroovyNilo

For literally no reason, he can hoop.

Some netizens went so far as to point out the disadvantages of waiving the 5-foot-7 Japanese guard.

"Wouldn’t you think about keeping him from a marketing perspective?" one netizen pointed out. "Still a lot of people in Japan, they love their international sportspeople…and he’s not that bad…more a G-leaguer but still..Hope he finds another team before the NBA is finished for him.."

MCK1972

@Mattkowals38746

Wouldn’t you think about keeping him from a marketing perspective? Still a lot of people in Japan, they love their international sportspeople….and he’s not that bad…more a G-leaguer but still.. Hope he finds another team before the NBA is finished for him..

OP10122

@OP_10122

Why? His only time he got to play was the 2nd preseason game and he was dishing it up like crazy. He made great passes and made the team have to move around a lot. He’s earned his spot much more than most 12-14 man players on every team

Last season, Kawamura played 22 games for the Grizzlies. He played just 4.2 minutes per outing and averaged 1.6 points and 0.5 rebounds per game.

Though Kawamura's limited time curtailed what he could showcase on the NBA stage, the 24-year-old guard is a veteran of Japan's B.League and a national team player at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At the moment, Kawamura's future in the NBA is clouded with uncertainty. Some fans, however, are certain that they would be happy to see him sign with another NBA team sooner rather than later.

Bulls waive 3x Slam Dunk Contest winner hours after he signs with team

As the start of the regular season approaches, the Bulls continue to fine-tune their roster. One player who was also cut by the team was three-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Mac McClung, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team and then waived.

Bleacher Report

@BleacherReport

The Chicago Bulls have waived Mac McClung just 3 hours after signing him, per @KeithSmithNBA

Notably, the sign-and-waive process followed by the Bulls here allows the team to assign McClung to their G League affiliate Windy City Bulls.