There are fewer than 10 days left in the regular season, so that means there won’t be any more 10-day contracts this year. Still, it was the most prolific season for 10-day contracts in recent years, as 48 players signed a least one such deal, up from 41 last year and 36 the year before. It’s the most in any season on record in our 10-Day Contract Tracker, which dates back to the 2006/07 season.
We’ll use the data from this year’s tracker to illustrate a few trends and notable statistics that emerged from this year’s 10-day signings. It’s still possible that we’ll see some 10-day signees ink deals that cover the rest of the season, and perhaps a team or two will choose to end one of its current 10-day deals before it runs to term, so some of the data may change. Still, we can see a fairly accurate picture of the 10-day landscape now that no new 10-day deals may be issued. Here’s a look at what happened:
- The Jazz emerged as the team that gave out the most 10-day contracts, though that’s no surprise, since they had a commanding lead as of a few weeks ago. They signed ten 10-day deals with six players. The Knicks and Clippers finished right behind them, as each gave out seven 10-day deals to four players.
- Four players signed 10-day contracts with multiple teams, and one, Elliot Williams, signed 10-day contracts with three teams — the Jazz, the Hornets and the Pelicans. None of those teams signed him for the season. The three other multiteam 10-day signees are JaMychal Green (Spurs and Grizzlies), Chris Johnson (Jazz and Bucks) and Quincy Miller (Kings and Pistons), each of whom eventually wound up with a rest-of-season deal.
- Teams re-signed 26 10-day signees to deals that covered the rest of the season. Only three of them came after a single 10-day contract, as most of the players cycled through two 10-day pacts before moving on to rest-of-season deals.
- A dozen players signed two 10-day contracts with a team but didn’t end up with rest-of-season deals. That includes Williams, who didn’t re-sign with the Jazz or the Pelicans despite two 10-day stints with each.
- There were 14 players signed to just a single 10-day contract with a team, though four of those deals are still current, so there’s a decent chance they’ll join the trio of guys who followed one 10-day with a rest-of-season pact.
- Five players saw their 10-day contracts end early, as their teams exercised their right to terminate the deals before the 10 days were up. The shortest time a player spent on a 10-day contract was two days, as the Pelicans released Toney Douglas the day after signing him. New Orleans circled back around and signed him for the season more than a month later.
- The longest period of time a player spent on a 10-day deal was 13 days. That’s because the Pistons signed John Lucas III to a 10-day contract right before the All-Star break, which was lengthier than normal this year. The league stipulates that 10-day contracts cover at least three games, and the long gap in the schedule afforded Lucas extra time on his deal.
- Mark Bartelstein’s Priority Sports & Entertainment was the leading agency involved with 10-day contracts this year, with five clients signing 10-day pacts. Three of them wound up signing for the season, while a fourth, Lester Hudson, is still on a 10-day contract with the Clippers.