Just over a month ago, the Chicago Bulls made the tough call to waive Jahmir Young, opting to use his open two-way slot on Yuki Kawamura. The Bulls’ decision to part ways with Young came following an impressive summer league showing.
Across five appearances in the exhibition season, Young averaged 13.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. The 6-foot-1 guard shot a blistering 53.3 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The Bulls opted for Kawamura’s flash over Young’s track record
Nevertheless, Young’s summer league numbers are inflated by a monster 40-point game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The 24-year-old guard dropped a Bulls’ summer league record behind a 13-of-18 performance from the floor and an unreal 7-of-8 outing from three-point range. Young also sank 7-of-9 free throws.
In Young’s other four appearances, he averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from long range. Yet, Young’s other four appearances also come with an asterisk—he only played in four minutes in the Bulls’ final summer league affair.
Though Kawamura brought more flash and playmaking, his numbers were barely superior to Young’s. The 5-foot-8 point guard averaged 9.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.2 steals in 23.9 minutes per game. However, Kawamura recorded two double-doubles in five contests. He dropped 15 points and 10 assists against the Indiana Pacers and 20 points and 10 dimes versus the Utah Jazz.
Even with that in mind, picking Kawamura over Young is hard to justify. Both point guards saw plenty of action in the G-League a season ago. Kawamura suited up for the Memphis Hustle, and Young split time between the Grand Rapids Gold and the Windy City Bulls.
In 31 appearances for the Hustle, Kawamura averaged 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 38.3 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three. Across 43 contests, Young totaled 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.9 steals. The Maryland product shot 46.7 percent from the floor and 30.2 percent from distance.
Young is far more accomplished and a stronger NBA prospect, while Kawamura carries more of a novelty factor. The diminutive point guard will forever be at a disadvantage due to his 5-foot-8 stature. He’s a next-level playmaker, but it’s fair to assume he’ll never see extended NBA action.
Young is an underrated addition by the Heat
With Chicago’s decision to fill its third two-way slot with Kawamura, Young hit the open market. He lasted about a month before being scooped up by the Miami Heat. Therefore, it’s possible the NBA’s best franchise when it comes to developing talent added yet another underrated gem.
Miami has long been known for squeezing the most out of fringe prospects and undrafted free agents. Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Haywood Highsmith all stand as examples of overlooked players who grew into rotation pieces.
A thin point guard rotation in South Beach gives Young an even better chance of breaking out. The Heat roster only features two true point guards—Davion Mitchell and rookie Kasparas Jakucionis. Moreover, Mitchell profiles more as a defensive ace, while Jakucionis is a 6-foot-6 combo guard whose playmaking has led many to view him as a point guard.
Young brings versatility, as he’s a more than capable scorer and strong point-of-attack defender. The 24-year-old isn’t the best shooter, but he’s shown he can knock down open and off-the-dribble looks from long range in rhythm. Perhaps most importantly, he’s a savvy playmaker who ranked 11th in the G-League in assists a year ago.
Nothing is set in stone just yet, but the Bulls may have just gifted their perennial play-in rival a formidable reserve point guard.
