What is a 10-day contract in the NBA?

10-day contracts are one of the tools available to NBA teams looking to infuse their teams with young, developing talent.

The NBA doesn’t have a process or minor league system that is as advanced as the MLB or NHL when it comes to developing fringe talent, but it is certainly doing what it can to improve in that area.

Developments and updates to the G League and peripheral contracts (such as two-way deals) in recent years have made the minor league system more important in the NBA. One lasting mechanism is the 10-day contract, which has been in the NBA for over two decades.

Here’s everything you should know about the 10-day contract.

What is a 10-day contract in the NBA?

According to CBAFAQ, a 10-day contract is a three-game (or 10-days, as the title states, whichever comes later).

When can teams sign players to 10-day contracts?

Teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts on January 5th of each year.

What is a 10-day contract salary?

A 10-day contract salary is negotiable. Since teams have all the leverage, typically it is signed for the minimum allowable. The minimum salary depends on factors including the length of the contract (in this case, the length would be 1 year since it is just 10 days) and the number of years of service that player has logged in the NBA. This amount changes yearly.

That ultimate number is pro-rated for the 10 days the player spends with the club.

How many 10-day contract players can a team have on its roster?

That depends! The number of players a team has on its roster influences the number of 10-day contracts teams can sign. The more players a team has, the more 10-day contract players they can sign.

Thanks to CBAFAQ, here are the limits:

• Team with 12 players: Ineligible to sign players to 10-day contracts.
• Team with 13 players: Can roster one 10-day contract at a time.
• Team with 14 players: Up to two 10-day contracts simultaneously.
• Team with 15 players: Up to three 10-day contracts simultaneously.

Two-way players do not count to the total count for purposes of determining how many 10-day contracts a team can roster.

Can two-way players also be signed to 10-day contracts?

No, two-way players are ineligible to be signed to 10-day contracts. Therefore, any time two-way players spends with the pro club count toward their season limit. Read more about two-way contracts here.

Who are the best players to have been signed to 10-day contracts?

Plenty of quality players have been signed to 10-day contracts, proving these have immense value in the league. These names should be reminding pieces of evidence that teams need to mine wherever they can for talent.

Here are some of the best players to play on 10-day contracts:

• Jeremy Lin
• Bruce Bowen
• Danny Green
• Chris Anderson
• Gerald Green