A 10 day contract is a where a Free Agent signs a player contract which lasts ten days (or three games, whichever comes later). A team may sign a player to two 10-day contracts in one season (they may or may not be consecutive). After the second 10-day contract, the team can only retain the player by signing him for the remainder of the season. A team can't have more 10-day contracts than they have players on their Inactive List. Ten-day contracts are available to be used starting January 5 (or the first business day thereafter) each season.

Typically, if the the team sees improvement in the player they will usually resign them; if not, they are waived. Around this time every year, NBA teams sign players to 10-day contracts. Rebuilding teams may cycle through several 10-day players in what’s essentially an extended tryout for next season, while contenders are searching for bargain-bin veterans who may fit in their system and contribute during their postseason run. Teams can sign a player to consecutive 10-day contracts and then they must decide if they want to keep that individual for the remainder of the season.

While the pay varies depending on a player’s experience, 10-day contracts can be worth anywhere from $30,000 to $55,000. That’s more than what top G-League players earn for an entire season ($25,000). If a player signs a second 10-day contract or inks a deal for the remainder of the season, they obviously earn significantly more. There’s a reason these are highly coveted deals, especially for G-League players.

However, a 10-day contract puts a ton of pressure on the player, giving him a little over a week to get acclimated and make a strong first impression. Every player wants to showcase their skill set, but doing too much and focusing on your individual success can get you sent home too. Oh, and because of the crazy NBA schedule, a player may only get one or two practices with his new team, making it even harder to get adjusted.