10-Day Contract Signings Begin Monday as Guarantee Deadline Approaches
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The NBA’s annual 10-day contract period opens on Monday, January 5, giving all 30 clubs the option to add players on short-term deals for the first time this season.
Under league rules, a 10-day contract keeps a player on a roster for 10 days or three games, whichever is longer. A team may offer the same player up to two of these agreements in a single season before it must either sign him for the remainder of the campaign or release him.
Franchises use 10-day deals for several reasons, from auditioning young talent to covering injuries or simply meeting the minimum roster limit. The Pacers and Grizzlies—both hit hard by injuries—have already signed multiple players this year through hardship exceptions, which operate separately from the standard 10-day mechanism that starts Monday.
Connection to the guarantee deadline
The window opens just ahead of the league-wide salary guarantee cutoff. Teams that want to avoid guaranteeing a full-season salary for a non-guaranteed player must waive him on or before Wednesday, January 7, ensuring he clears waivers before contracts lock in on Saturday, January 10.
Clubs frequently combine the two rules: waiving a player to skirt a guarantee, then using an immediate 10-day contract—sometimes with the same player—to preserve flexibility and reduce financial exposure.
Roster spots available
Thirteen teams currently have at least one opening on their 15-man rosters. Many are expected to wait before filling those slots, either to manage payroll or to keep options open ahead of the trade deadline. Historically, most 10-day signings occur after that deadline passes.
Source: Hoops Rumors
