10-Day Contract Candidates

Beginning today, teams may begin signing players to 10-day contracts. These contracts are most commonly used as a tryout period for respective players. Most players that sign a 10-day contract originate from the NBA’s Development League.

Teams may sign a player to a maximum of two 10-day contracts. Following the end of the second 10-day contract, teams must decide if they want to sign that player for the remainder of the season or cut ties with that player.

Last season, 32 players received 42 call-ups while an all-time high 63 call-ups occurred two seasons ago. Players like Sean Kilpatrick, Tim Frazier and James Ennis were some of the players called up to the NBA last season who still remain on an NBA roster today.

This week also represents the deadline in which non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed, with teams needing to cut those players by Saturday in order to allow for the two-day waiver period before those contracts become guaranteed on Tuesday. As more roster spots open up, this could free the way for more prospects to earn their way onto NBA rosters.

With teams now able to sign players to 10-day contracts, here are 10 prospects to keep an eye on (in no particular order):

Keith Benson, Sioux Falls Skyforce:

For teams looking for an extra rim protector, Benson should be at the top of the list. On the season, Benson is averaging 19.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. He currently ranks 11th in the D-League in total points, first in total rebounds and first in total blocks. He leads the D-League in blocks by a wide margin, too. Benson has 62 total blocks this season. The next highest player on the list has 38.

As his blocks indicate, Benson has become a defensive force for the Skyforce this season. He also ranks seventh in the D-League with a 95.2 defensive rating. He leads all players in double-doubles with 12 and is coming off of his best game of the season, recording a career-high 33 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks.

Lamar Patterson, Reno Bighorns:

After splitting time between the Atlanta Hawks and the D-League last season, Patterson is having his best season to date and he seems to have gotten even better as the season has progressed. He’s averaging 22.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game and is fifth in total scoring over the past month. He currently ranks ninth in points and fourth in steals among all players. Patterson turned in his fourth game of the season on Tuesday in which he scored at least 30 points.

Perhaps the biggest improvement in his game has come in his shooting. He told Basketball Insiders over the summer he really wanted to improve his shot and his three-point percentage has improved from 26 percent last season to 34 percent this season. As his averages indicate, he’s been able to make an impact in many facets of the game. His best game of the season came on Dec. 9 when he recorded 35 points, eight rebounds, seven steals and four assists. His seven steals tied a season-high for any player in the D-League this season.

Quincy Acy, Texas Legends:

Acy has the most NBA experience of these candidates and is said to be among the most likely to earn a call-up. Acy was waived by the Dallas Mavericks back in November to make room for point guard Jonathan Gibson after the team suffered injuries to Deron Williams, Devin Harris and J.J. Barea. Had it not been for those injuries, Acy would likely still be with the Mavericks as he was a favorite among players and the coaching staff.

Acy has appeared in 12 games for the Legends and is averaging 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, two blocks, 1.6 steals and 1.2 assists. His best game of the season came back on Dec. 14 when he recorded 28 points and 14 rebounds. Acy has proven that he can be a solid rotation player during his four seasons in the NBA so it seems likely he’ll be back in the league once the right situation opens up for him.  

Briante Weber, Sioux Falls Skyforce:

With Pierre Jackson earning the sixth call-up of the season last week, Weber takes over as the No. 1 prospect, according to the D-League’s Prospect Watch list. Weber earned a pair of call-ups last season with the HEAT before finishing out the season with them. Weber is perhaps one of the most exciting players to watch given his ability to impact the game all over the floor. While he isn’t the best shooter, he can contribute in many other areas.

He is averaging 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game. His defense has been arguably one of his biggest attributes this season. He’s known to be a pest on defense and currently has the fifth-best defensive rating in the D-League. Weber currently leads all point guards in rebounding and leads all players in steals. There have been nine triple-doubles recorded in the D-League this season and Weber has three of them. Perhaps his most impressive triple-double was when he had 24 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists on Christmas Day.

Quinn Cook, Canton Charge:

Cook has been one of the most consistent scorers in the D-League this season. His 25.1 points per game currently ranks fifth among all players and his 49-point outing on Dec. 7 is tied for the second-highest point total this season. In addition to his 25.1 points, he’s also averaging 5.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Of the nine triple-doubles recorded in the D-League this season, Cook has one of them after he had 15 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds on Nov. 18. Cook’s game seems to have improved even more on the offensive end this season. His points per game are up from 19.6 last season to 25.1 this season. In addition, he’s earning more trips to the line as well. He averaged 3.6 free throw attempts last season and is up to 6.4 this season. He’s fun to watch as the primary ball handler, as he’s shown he can make a number of different hesitation dribbles and embarrass defenders. Given his abilities offensively, it shouldn’t be surprising to see Cook in the NBA sooner than later.

Cory Jefferson, Austin Spurs:

Jefferson is another candidate that has prior experience in the league. He appeared in 50 games two seasons ago with the Brooklyn Nets and was with the Phoenix Suns last season for eight games. In 19 games this season with the Austin Spurs, Jefferson is averaging 15.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Jefferson is coming off of his best game of the season after scoring a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double. Jefferson can be a solid contributor for a team to add some size off of the bench. He has great athleticism at 6’9 and is a great option in the pick-and-roll as well. He’s improved his shooting, as he’s converting on 50 percent of his three-point attempts. Given his prior NBA experience, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jefferson receive a call at some point.

Manny Harris, Texas Legends:

In terms of the best scorer in the D-League, Harris could be the guy. He’s currently averaging 26.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Legends. He’s second in total scoring and owns two of the top four scoring performances in the D-League this season with outings of 49 points and 47 points, respectively.

Harris is a guy that has played virtually everywhere in his professional career. He has spent three seasons in the NBA, four seasons abroad and several others in the D-League. Harris could be a guy that decided to stay in the United States until call-ups start and then go overseas if he doesn’t receive one soon.

Chasson Randle, Westchester Knicks:

Randle’s first season in the D-League has been a good one. In 16 games for the Knicks, he’s averaging 21.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Randle has established himself as a great three-point shooter who can get hot and put up a lot of points. He’s shooting 41 percent from three-point range and is 10th in the D-League in three-pointers made. On Dec. 16, he made nine three-pointers and followed up that outing by knocking down seven triples.

Randle was close to making the New York Knicks’ opening night roster after a strong preseason, but suffered a fractured orbital bone in training camp that ultimately hurt his chances at sticking around. The Knicks are said to like his defense and could opt to bring him up at some point in the near future should a roster spot open up.

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As the window to sign players to 10-day contracts is officially now underway, keep an eye on these players who could get a chance. Of course, there will be others that will get an opportunity as well. These players have all shown at various times throughout the season that they could be a valuable addition to a prospective team.

Did we leave someone out? Hit the comments and let us know!