The world of NBA contracts is complicated and has layers upon layers of nuance, from salary caps to rookie scales.
How players wind up on the hardwood 82 days of the year, however, also involves a fair bit of creativity, roster management and turnover.
One of the tools NBA teams use to work around injuries and roster limitations is 10-day contracts, often used to sign journeymen or G League players to brief windows of play with the chance for more.
One might think the concept of a 10-day contract is fairly self-explanatory, but there is one layer. A 10-day contract lasts for 10 calendar days or for the length of three games, whichever is longer.
Why Do NBA Teams Sign Players to 10-Day Contracts?
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There are two main purposes for 10-day contracts: to cover injuries or evaluate G League talent.
Often, players who sit in an NBA team's G League affiliate are on the very cusp of making the pros, but don't get the chance due to space on the depth chart or years of service.
What Kinds of 10-Day Contracts Exist?
There are two different types of 10-day contracts: a standard 10-day deal and a hardship contract. Standard 10-day contracts require one space on an NBA team's 15-man roster, while a team can only sign a player to two 10-day contracts in one season before they must sign them for the whole season or release them.
A hardship contract, or hardship exception, alters the rules for a team that is severely banged up by injuries.
When a team has had at least four players miss at least three games, a hardship exception can take effect, being granted by the league and allowing teams to sign players to more than two 10-day contracts and allows the team to exceed the 15-man roster limit.
When Was the Last Hardship Exception Granted?
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The Indiana Pacers are the last team to receive a hardship exception as granted by the NBA, getting this exception on November 1, 2025.
Multiple Pacers players, including franchise cornerstone Tyrese Haliburton, had missed extended time, causing the team to be granted a hardship contract, which they used on forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
How Much Money Do Players Earn on 10-Day Contracts?
NBA 10-day contracts aren't too shabby, paying a player's full-season minimum salary divided by 174 (the number of days in a pro season) and multiplied by 10.
Based on years of service, a player can get paid approximately $66,000 to $124,000, determined by the above formula. Rookies are paid at the low end, while that maximum value is paid to players with greater than three years of service time.
When your favorite team is dealing with endless injuries, look for them to target players on 10-day contracts while their starters get back to health. Now you know how they work.
