In order to retain his postseason eligibility for a new NBA team, a player must be waived on or before March 1. That means that any player who remains on an NBA roster after today won’t be eligible to suit up in the playoffs for a new team, though there’s at least one key exception to that general rule.
A player who is currently on a 10-day contract – or who signs one in March – will retain his playoff eligibility going forward. For instance, once Willie Cauley-Stein‘s 10-day deal with the Sixers expires this weekend, he’d still be able to re-sign with Philadelphia or join a new team and be eligible to play in the postseason, since he’s not being placed on waivers after March 1.
Here’s the list of players currently on 10-day contracts who will retain their playoff eligibility when their current deals expire:
- Drew Eubanks, Trail Blazers (runs through 3/3)
- Malik Fitts, Celtics (3/4)
- Kelan Martin, Celtics (3/4)
- Willie Cauley-Stein, Sixers (3/5)
- Tim Frazier, Cavaliers (3/7)
- Haywood Highsmith, Heat (3/7)
- D.J. Wilson, Raptors (3/9)
- Note: Alize Johnson is reportedly signing a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, but it’s not yet official. Like the players above, he’ll still be playoff-eligible.
It’s also worth clarifying that a player doesn’t have to sign with a new team by March 1 to be playoff-eligible — he simply has to be placed on waivers by 11:59 pm ET on Tuesday. As long as a player who fits that bill signs with a new team by the final day of the regular season (April 10), he can play in the postseason.
The buyout market in 2022 hasn’t featured as many notable names as it has in some recent years, but we’ve still seen a handful of potential rotation players become available since the trade deadline. Goran Dragic, Tristan Thompson, Tomas Satoransky, Jevon Carter, DeAndre’ Bembry, and D.J. Augustin are among the veterans who have been waived since February 10 and who have since found new teams.
All of those players will be playoff-eligible for their new clubs, but anyone on a standard contract who is waived after Tuesday won’t be. We know that the Lakers will officially release DeAndre Jordan today — we’ll keep an eye out for any other veterans who might hit waivers in the next 15 hours or so.
Okay 2nd paragraph last line a little bit confusing but basically a player on a 10-day contract even AFTER March 1st doesn’t really count as being “waived AFTER March 1st.”
It’s just a 10-day contract expiring and a different category so they’re still playoff eligible. Okay make sense.
As it relates to the 10-day contract guys, the key idea in that 2nd paragraph last line is “not being waived,” rather than the “March 1st.”
I’m a little slow so thanks for allowing me to talk that through.
Yep, exactly. I’d considered italicizing the “placed on waivers” part to make sure it was emphasized. Think I’ll do that now to avoid any confusion.
I think it probably makes sense the way it is to most others. Just reading that first sentence of the second paragraph explains everything…
“A player who is currently on a 10-day contract – or who signs one in March – will RETAIN his playoff eligibility going forward.”
As I said.., I’m just a little slow.
Does this waiver deadline apply to two-way players as well?
Yeah, a two-way player waived after today is ineligible for the playoffs.
Of course, a player on a two-way contract is ineligible for the playoffs anyway, but a team could still promote its own two-way player to the 15-man after today to make him playoff-eligible (since he wouldn’t have to be waived in that scenario).
In the DeAndre Jordan situation.
Since he’s being released today and then will take time to go through waivers. Depending on how long that takes will he be playoff eligible after he clears waivers or would a team have to claim him off waivers for him to be playoff eligible?
More or less how long will it take for Jordan to clear waivers? And since I’m in Australia and your Tuesday isn’t our Tuesday, by the time he clears waivers will it be before Tuesday which makes him playoff eligible?
As long as he’s officially placed on waivers today, he’s playoff-eligible, whether or not he’s claimed.
It’s not like the January salary guarantee deadline where a player has to clear waivers before the deadline — Jordan will clear waivers or be claimed on March 3 (or March 4, if he’s not officially waived until later Tuesday night), but that’s OK.