LAS VEGAS — Yuki Kawamura came to Las Vegas with a simple goal: get a contract.

The second-year point guard understands the challenge. Last season, Kawamura was the shortest player in the NBA at 5-foot-8. No matter. He won a training camp contract, then a two-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. His playing time wasn’t much — 93 minutes in total — but it was enough to showcase his abilities as a playmaker at the highest level.

This year is no different. Kawamura knows he can make an impact in this league. And he’ll take any opportunity to prove that point, again and again.

“I believe I still can play in the NBA,” Kawamura said after his first NBA Summer League game with the Chicago Bulls. “I want to get a contract — two-way, whatever. I just want to get a contract.”

Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas is small. Cramped. Fewer than 2,500 people can pack into the gym itself, leaving media members and team doctors and other assorted league staff to awkwardly cram up against the walls, waiting their turns for the few assigned seats as the air conditioning system cedes a narrow defeat to the mid-July heat.

These aren’t typical NBA games or typical NBA crowds. Summer league moves too quickly for fans of specific teams to pack the stands. Major matchups featuring top draft picks like Cooper Flagg might draw a more partisan crowd, but the rest of the tournament is made for milling about.

So it made sense that Friday’s matchup between the Bulls and the Toronto Raptors wasn’t punctuated with much in the way of applause or cheers — until Kawamura came on the court. When the guard entered the game midway through the first quarter, a row of fans decked out in hachimakis and Japan basketball gear sprang to their feet, lofting posters and blown-up photos of Kawamura’s headshot.

For Japanese basketball fans, Kawamura’s journey in the NBA represents more than just a single player’s attempt to make a roster. Japanese basketball stars are still struggling to find a foothold in the league. Only one Japanese player — Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura — is currently rostered in the NBA. And only eight Japanese players have ever played in the league.

Kawamura represents the best of his country. He was named MVP of Japan’s B.League in 2023 before setting out for the NBA, where he earned 22 appearances in his rookie season with the Grizzlies while mostly playing for the Hustle in the G-League. But it’s hard enough for any point guard to carve out a place on an NBA roster — not to mention the smallest player in the league.

Kawamura does his best to outplay his height on defense, getting up into the gut of lengthier guards to hound the ball. He hits first, inviting contact rather than dodging it. But the reality remains. Kawamura is not switchable on defense. As a result, he has to fight over every screen he faces, another challenge that highlights his physical disadvantage.

The offensive end of the court is where Kawamura can make the best case for himself. He averaged 7.8 assists per game in the G League. During his sparse minutes with the senior team, Kawamura showed flashes of crafty creativity, slinging passes behind his back and over his head without a glance in his teammate’s direction.

Kawamura showed some of those same skills with the Bulls in the summer league. But he also struggled with his shot — going 1 for 6 in Friday’s loss to the Raptors — and gave in to hefty pressure from defenders to cough up turnovers.

Opponents will hound Kawamura at the point of attack and attempt to corral him with length. The guard has found ways to respond to these defensive strategies. He often launches airborne before making his final move, manipulating jump passes as a way to navigate the ball past the outstretched limbs of defenders. And his first step is quick enough to blow by speedy guards, creating the separation needed to find his teammates.

“He’s definitely a catalyst,” summer league head coach Billy Donovan III said. “He can get in the paint, play-make and generate easy shots for others.”

If Kawamura lands a contract in the NBA this season, it most likely won’t be with the Bulls.

The point guard position is well-stocked on this roster — first in the primary depth chart with Josh Giddey, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, then in the supplemental rotation with Jevon Carter and Tre Jones. Chicago has already filled all three of the two-way slots on the roster. Any changes to that unit will need to either bolster the frontcourt or supplement the team’s 3-point shooting.

But for the players participating in the summer league, this short-term tenure doesn’t matter. Kawamura earned praise in Memphis for his steep work ethic and tireless disposition. In Chicago, the point guard has already made a noticeable impression on his teammates — particularly second-year forward Matas Buzelis, who chased Kawamura down during a timeout after he made a 3-pointer in Friday’s game, smacking him with a towel before pulling him into a hug.

“He’s the definition of heart over height,” Buzelis said. “He plays so hard. To be on the floor with him, it means a lot to me. I’m not going to take it for granted because he’s an amazing player and an amazing human.”

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