Photo via CBS Sports
by Zach Oliver
One of the NBA’s best tools for teams looking to secure young talent or depth in the latter part of the season is the 10-day contract. Teams are able to sign free agents to 10-day contracts beginning on January 5th, and when they have two or fewer games to play or there are less than 10 days remaining in the season. However, questions arise, most notably: What’s the point of a 10-day contract?
There’s not one real “true” answer as to why teams use 10-day contracts, but instead, a multitude of reasons why they may choose to. First, a team may be dealing with a rash of injuries, whether it be to a certain position or over the entire roster, and need to bring in players to help with depth. For some teams, mainly contenders, this seems to be the main reason they take advantage of the flexibility given to them.
Another reason is for those who are rebuilding to get a look at young guys that they could look to sign long term in the offseason. This also gives players a taste of the NBA, compared to the NBA Developmental League, or international play. For the players, it’s all about getting their “big break,” and a 10-day has proven to be one of the potential springboards over the last five seasons.
Below you can see the breakdown of the amount of players signed to 10-day contracts in the last five years, 2013-14 season included.
| Year | Single 10-Day | Two 10-Day | Signed Remainder of Season | Total Players Signed to 10-Day Contracts |
| 2010 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 27 |
| 2011 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 29 |
| 2012 | 13 | 6 | 16 | 35 |
| 2013 | 11 | 4 | 21 | 36 |
| 2014* | 20 | 10 | 3 | 33 |
*Numbers for 2014 through March 4th.
As you can see, over the past five seasons teams have begun to utilize the 10-day contract more. There has been a jump in each year, with it looking like 2014 will be a new high for the amount of 10-day’s signed. The trend also shows that the amount of players who are signed for the remainder of the season should increase again, but there is still some room to make up.
So, how many of the players who are signed for the remainder of the season end up signing with a team in the summer? Is there a trend that more players are signed the following season after being signed for the remainder of the previous season?
| Year | Signed Remainder of Season | Signed For Next Season |
| 2010 | 9 | 4 |
| 2011 | 9 | 2 |
| 2012 | 16 | 3 |
| 2013 | 21 | 5 |
As we can see, not often have players proven enough in their time to earn contracts the following seasons. The most notable players who have gone on from their time as 10-day contracts to be signed the following offseason are Chris Andersen, Alan Anderson, Gerald Green, and Shaun Livingston.
All four of those players mentioned have had profound impacts on their teams this year. While their impacts are all different, they’re bonded by one thing: they’ve all helped push their respective teams closer to the playoff race. How have they done it? Let’s find out.
Andersen, more commonly known as “Birdman” has brought the Miami Heat a big man whose active on both ends of the court. While his impact isn’t felt much scoring wise (he averages a mere 6.5 points per game), he makes a big impact defensively. His activeness and willingness to sacrifice his body to help the team defend inside. He’s one of those role player glue guys that every potential title contender needs.
The other Anderson, Alan, has been one of the bright points of a somewhat tumultuous season for the Brooklyn Nets. While his numbers aren’t spectacular, Anderson is the ultimate team player, accepting whatever role has been given to him, whether that be starting or coming off the bench, and making the best out of it. He’s another one of those glue guys that every team yearns for to be successful, and he’s proven valuable all season on both ends of the court.
For the Phoenix Suns, Gerald Green has been one of the key parts to their success. Green is enjoying a career year, and is arguably one of the top candidates for the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Green had struggled to find his niche prior to this season, but with the Suns and first year coach Jeff Hornacek, he has turned into a deadly three-point shooter along with his flashy dunks.
Finally, Livingston, whose career seemed doomed after a serious knee injury, has turned into a solid rotation player for the Nets. Livingston has put up solid numbers all season and can cause matchup problems at both guard positions. He’s filled in admirably when Deron Williams has been out with an injury and is going to be a key piece for the improving Nets as the playoffs roll around.
Outside of Andersen, who had spent the previous four years with the Denver Nuggets, the others were all looking for a second chance in the NBA. Anderson was playing overseas and in the developmental league, Green was playing in Russia and the developmental league, and Livingston bounced around between six NBA teams. 10-Day contracts have led to all four of these players finding homes for not only this season, but past this year as well.
While some players who were signed for the remainder of the season went on to sign with teams, many were either cut prior to the start of the season, or signed a 10-day contract later in the season. So, is a 10-day really the best thing for a player hoping to make the big break into the league? Or is it just a tool to fill spots in the hope that you hit a home run somewhere?
10-Day contracts have been good to some, as they’ve revitalized the careers of Andersen, Anderson, Green, and Livingston, while being cruel to others. It’s one of the best tools for teams who need to add depth and are looking for potential home runs with players, but in the end, might not be the best in the long-term for players. Teams will undoubtedly continue to use them, and maybe soon we’ll see more players hitting it big thanks to 10-day deals.