Until the arrival of duality two-way contract, 10-day contracts were the only way for franchises to have players available without having to offer them a standard contract. 10-day contracts are temporary employment relationships and franchises usually use them either to test players for the future when the season is lost, to cover specific absences or to try to tweak the squads with the freedom to maneuver which gives its short duration.
What are the key dates for 10-day contracts?
NBA franchises can sign this type of agreement from January 5 of each season, even if this day falls on a holiday, and up to 10 days before the last game of the regular season or, failing that, until game number 80 of the campaign. Beyond these barriers, franchises cannot extend a 10-day contract to a player.
How many 10-day contracts can a franchise sign?
It depends on the number of players a franchise has on the roster. For this count, active and inactive players and others who are under a 10-day agreement are taken into consideration, but those who appear with an agreement are not counted. two way. Thus, if a team has 15 players, it will not be able to add any 10-day contracts; with 14, you will be able to carry out one; With 13 he will be able to sign two 10-day contracts and with 12 he will be able to have up to three gaps in the squad with this type of agreement.
In addition, a franchise can only sign a player in the same season for two contracts of a maximum of 10 days. After that, he either renews him until the end of the course at least or lets him go free.
What is the salary?
Although it is negotiable, in most cases it is a prorated payroll of the minimum annual salary established according to the player's experience. If he is a rookie, he will earn 10 days of the total annual salary of the rookies. In 2016-17 that amount was $31.969. For a one-year veteran, earnings for 10 days were $51.449. For those players with two or more years of experience, the check increased in 2016-17 to $57.762. A player can sign as many ten-day contracts as he considers, as long as he does not exceed the limit of two per franchise in the same course. Let's look at some examples.
Quinn Cook debuted in the NBA in the 2016-17 campaign. He did it with the Mavericks, with whom he signed a 10-day agreement, worth $31.969. Afterwards, he signed two more temporary contracts with the Pelicans, for the same amount of $31.969 each. After that, New Orleans signed him a multi-year contract to keep him as property.
Axel Toupane, who already had previous experience in the NBA, also signed a 10-day contract worth $51.449, having played only one year in the competition. Finally, Manny Harris, with several courses of work in the NBA behind him, went up to $57.762 for each of the two 10-day contracts that he agreed to with the Mavericks. For this type of player, the amount to be received may be slightly higher than $57.762, but the difference is assumed by the NBA, not the franchise.
Do they last exactly 10 days?
The logical thing is that yes, because according to the calendar they are designed to last for a week and a half, a period in which a franchise plays at least three games. However, there have been cases in which the minimum of three matches established by this type of agreement has been extended by a few more days than the 10 days, as happened to John Lucas III in 2015, with Detroit. Then, the All Star break stretched the schedule and the Pistons played those three games in 13 days, so Lucas III received his payroll corresponding to 13 days, not 10.
Can they be fired within the contract?
Yes. A player can have his contract expired 10 days before it ends naturally. In that case, the affected person automatically becomes a free agent and does not have to wait 48 hours, as when an ordinary dismissal occurs, for any franchise to be claimed. Furthermore, the amount stipulated for that 10-day contract is fully guaranteed from the moment of signing, regardless of whether the bond is fully fulfilled or terminated earlier than established. It is common for NBA franchises to cut players on 10-day contracts in the event that an injury prevents them from continuing to play since they occupy a position on the roster and cannot take advantage of their services.
This was the case of Pierre Jackson, who saw how two days after signing his second 10-day agreement with the Mavericks, Dallas dispensed with his services. Jackson also serves as an example to see how a player with a standard contract can be fired and, after the stipulated required days, signed with a temporary agreement. On January 7, 2017, the deadline on which non-guaranteed contracts became guaranteed in the NBA, he was released by the Mavericks, who extended a contract for an additional 15 days on the 10th of that same month.
Yes, a contract two-way contract It can never be converted into a temporary contract.