As Hoops Rumors' 10-day contract tracker shows, 30 different players have signed at least one 10-day contract this season. In many cases, that first deal led to a second 10-day contract or a rest-of-season signing.
Many of these players see their 10-day auditions pass without getting the opportunity to make much of an impact — in Keith Benson's brief stint with the Warriors, he played about nine total minutes in three games, totaling two rebounds and failing to score a point.
For other players though, that first 10-day deal gives them the chance to show they deserve to be part of an NBA rotation. The players listed below started out this season on a 10-day contract, and are either still on a 10-day deal or received a rest-of-season contract due to their strong play. These are my picks for the best 10-day signings of the season, but if you think I've missed any notable ones, feel free to point them out in the comments section.
- Gerald Green, Nets: Watching Green tear up the D-League, it was clear the former 18th overall pick deserved another shot at the NBA. He earned that chance from the Nets, and made a great first impression by scoring double-digit points in his first two games. Green's production has been up and down since then, but his play earned him a rest-of-season guarantee, and it doesn't look like he'll be heading back to the D-League anytime soon. The 26-year-old poured in a season-high 32 points against Cleveland on Sunday and appears poised to draw interest in free agency this summer.
- Terrence Williams, Kings: Playing for his third NBA team in three seasons, the former 11th overall pick looks better in Sacramento than he did in New Jersey or Houston. Williams has been filling up the stat sheet in 11 games for the Kings, averaging 9.4 PPG on 47.8% shooting to go along with 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG. The 24-year-old has expressed interest in returning to the Kings next season.
- Alan Anderson, Raptors: Anderson's numbers with Toronto aren't exactly eye-popping. In nine contests, he's averaging just 6.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game. But what's been impressive is Anderson's shooting efficiency — his .465/.556/.833 rates all represent career highs, albeit in a small sample size. Anderson is on his second 10-day contract, so it'll be interesting to see if the Raptors re-sign him, perhaps with an additional non-guaranteed year, when his deal expires with a week and a half left in the season.
- Lester Hudson, Cavaliers: Another player on his second 10-day deal, Hudson has been tearing it up recently, scoring 24.7 PPG in 32.4 MPG over his last three contests. In his seven games with the Cavs, Hudson has averaged 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, for a PER of 19.5. If the Cavs don't hang on to him for next season, I'd be surprised if his late-season surge doesn't earn him an NBA job elsewhere.
- Cartier Martin and James Singleton, Wizards: Martin and Singleton have propelled the Wizards to a pair of wins this week, averaging a combined 30.5 points and 14.5 rebounds off the bench against the Magic and Bobcats. Both players are on 10-day contracts (Martin's second and Singleton's first), but at the very least, they'll stay on the Wizards' radar this offseason if they keep playing like this.