How much is an NBA 10-day contract worth?
10-day contracts are paid based on a pro-rated amount of minimum NBA salary. The exact minimum salary depends on the number of years of NBA experience the player has.
For example: A player with 5 years of NBA experience signs a 10-day contract. If he completes all 10 days, then he will earn $122,602.
Not bad! 💰
In this article, we’ll take a a detailed look at the world of NBA 10-contracts:
- What exactly is an NBA 10-day contract?
- How much are NBA 10-day contracts worth?
- Types of 10-day contract (Standard vs Hardship)
- What’s the point of 10-day contracts?
- and more…
Let’s get started!
What is an NBA 10-day contract?
A 10-day contract is a contract between a player and team that lasts for a maximum of 10-days, or 3 games (whichever is longer).
Here are some more facts from the latest CBA (Article II, Section 9):
- Teams can start singing players to 10-day contracts starting from January 5th of the season.
- A team can only sign the same player to a maximum of two 10-day contracts in a season. After the second contract, a team must sign the player to a “Rest-of-Season” contract if they want to keep him.
- There is no limit to how many teams a player can sign with (2 contracts per team)
- The most 10-day contract players a team can have depend on their current roster (active/ inactive players, other 10-day contracts, but not Two-Way contracts). Here’s a basic guide:
| Number of players on roster | 10-Day contracts allowed |
|---|---|
| 12 | 0 |
| 13 | 1 |
| 14 | 2 |
| 15 | 3 |
- The salary for a 10-Day Contract is based on the the official “Minimum Player Salary”
Now, let’s take a more detailed look at salaries:
How much is an NBA 10-day contract worth?
As previously mentioned, the salary for a 10-day contract is based on the minimum player salary (of a 1 year contract).
The minimum player salary depends on how many years of NBA experience a player has.
For the upcoming 2023-2024 season, here are the official amounts for one year contracts:
10-Day Salaries Based on Experience
| Years of NBA Experience | 1 Year Salary | 10-day Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1,017,781 | $58,493 |
| 1 | 1,637,966 | $94,136 |
| 2 | 1,836,090 | $105,522 |
| 3 | 1,902,133 | $109,318 |
| 4 | 1,968,175 | $113,114 |
| 5 | 2,133,278 | $122,602 |
| 6 | 2,298,385 | $132,091 |
| 7 | 2,463,490 | $141,580 |
| 8 | 2,628,597 | $151,069 |
| 9 | 2,641,682 | $151,821 |
| 10+ | 2,905,851 | $167,003 |
The 10-day salary is simply the 1 year salary pro-rated by how many days are in a season.
In 2022-2023 season, there were exactly 174 days.
Examples Calculations:
If a player with 10 years of NBA experience signs a 10-day contract, his salary will be approximately $167,002.92. (Math = 10/174 * 2,905,851)
If a player with 0 years of NBA experience signs a 10-day contract, his salary will be approximately $58,493.16 (Math = 10/174 * 1,017,781)
Salary Cap Reimbursements for Veteran 10-Day Contracts
To prevent teams from only signing younger, cheaper players, the NBA reimburses teams that sign veterans (3 or more years of NBA experience).
The team only needs to pay the salary of a 2-year player (i.e. $105,522), and the league will pay the rest.
This is similar to the minimum salary rules.
Hardship 10-day contracts
If a team has a lack of players due to injuries, illnesses, etc., then the NBA allows teams to sign additional players that would make the team exceed the typical roster size (15 players).
This is known as the “hardship exception”.
This exception was especially prevalent during the peak COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and 2021, when many players were forced to quarantine.
Players signed under on hardship rules are always signed to 10-day contracts.
What’s the point of 10-Day Contracts?
Team Benefits
A team typically uses 10-day contracts to test a player they are interested in, before signing them to a full time contract.
They can see whether a player fits their team/system, without needing to commit millions of dollars first.
If a team has many injuries, then a 10-day contract is used to temporarily fill roster spots.
Player Benefits
For players, a 10-day contract gives an opportunity to showcase their abilities to the league. It could be their one chance to get a contract in the NBA.
Many players actually end up signing full contracts after their 10-day (see below for some examples).
At worst, players still make a decent chunk of change for 10 days of work. 💰
10-day contracts of 2023
Here are some notable players that were signed to 10-day contracts last season (2022-2023):
- Sterling Brown with the LA Lakers
- Gorgui Dieng with the Spurs
- PJ Dozier with the Kings
- Kris Dunn with the Utah Jazz
- Willie Cauley-Stein with the Rockets
Dieng, Dozier, Dunn, and Cauley-Stein all ended up getting signed to full player contracts after finishing their two 10-day contracts.
Related FAQ
What happens after a 10-day contract?
A team can sign a player to a maximum of two 10-day contracts.
If the team wants to retain the player after the second 10-day contract, they must sign him for the remainder of the season.
If not, the player becomes a free agent again.
How many 10-day contracts can a player sign?
A player can sign two 10-day contracts per team, per season.
Starting from January 5th (first day eligible for 10-day contracts), there are about 13 weeks remaining in the NBA regular season. So, technically, a player could sign about nine different 10-day contracts in a season.
What is NBA rookie minimum salary?
The NBA rookie minimum salary is $1,017,781.
First round draft picks are paid according to the Rookie Salary Scale.
Check out this post for more about NBA minimum salaries.
What is the G League minimum salary?
The G League minimum salary last season was $40,500.
Click here for more details about G League salaries.
How much is a 2 way contract in the NBA?
A Two Way contract is 50% of the minimum NBA rookie salary. For the 2023-2024 season, this is equal to $508,890.
Summary
Who were some good 10-day contract players on your favorite NBA team?
Which player do you think deserves a shot with a 10-day contract?
Let me know in the comments below!
