Top 5 All Stars who once signed a 10-day contract in the NBA
10-day contracts can be rewarding for teams in the NBA. Through them, they can bring in players to help fill their roster in case of injuries. In some cases,10-day contracts are also offered by teams to first assess a player's skill before committing to a long-term deal.
5 players who signed 10-day contracts
While 10-day contracts are beneficial to teams, it is not very luctrative for the players. But with age and recurring injuries, this might be the only option for some players to play again. Here are some All-Stars who signed 10-day contracts at one point or the other in their careers.
#1 - DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins moved from earning $18.1 million to signing two 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Clippers. The center was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2010 and stuck with the team for 7 seasons.
He was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2017-18 season, where he was at his best and put in several record-breaking performances. However, in the very season he made his first All-Star appearance, things started to go downhill for the player.
Cousins missed 11 months of basketball in 2018 due to a ruptured Achilles. He made his way back to the NBA in 2019 after signing a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors.
In July 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers signed the center, who did not feature in the 2019-20 season. He tore his ACL during a preseason game and was ruled out indefinitely. As a result, he was waived in February 2020.
He met the same fate two months after signing for the Houston Rockets in December 2020. He averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in 25 games played for Houston. Unsure about his fitness, his current franchise the Los Angeles Clippers have offered him back-to-back 10-day contracts, which may lead to retention until the end of the season.
#2 - Shaun Livingston
The shooting guard was cleared to play in 2008 but was no longer desired by the Clippers. He signed a two-year deal with the Miami Heat in October 2008. After playing 4 games for the Heat, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, who waived him on the same day as the deal.
Eventually, he signed two 10-day contracts with the Washington Wizards and was retained until the end of the 2009-10 season.
In 2014, he signed with the Golden State Warriors. It was the start of an amazing spell as he won three NBA championships with the team. In the end, the 10-day contracts were instrumental in him regaining his form.
#3 - Phil Chenier
Things started to go wrong for Chenier shortly after his third All-Star appearance in 1977. He never started for the Washington Bullets after returning from a back injury.
Chenier had no other option than to sign a 10-day contract with the Golden State Warriors in a bid to fight his way back. However, the shooting guard was never at his best during his time with Warriors.
#4 - Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas is a skilled basketball player who started his NBA career in 2011 after being drafted by the Sacramento Kings. He played for the Kings for three years before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns.
Things picked up for the guard in 2015 after he was signed by the Boston Celtics. Stellar performances in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons secured Thomas an All-Star appearance.
Thomas contributed greatly to the Celtics' deep run in the 2017 NBA playoffs. His prolific scoring in the playoffs helped the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they could not do enough to advance to the NBA Finals.
Two games into the Eastern Conference Finals, Thomas came down with a hip injury. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason but could not play right away because of it.
Thomas made his Cavaliers debut in January 2018 and recorded a double-double off the bench. In February, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Shortly after, he was out again as a result of a hip injury.
He spent a year with the Denver Nuggets before getting signed with the Washington Wizards in July 2019. The Clippers then acquired him on deadline day but waived the guard two days later.
He went on to sign a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans in April 2021. Unfortunately, the guard is now back to being a free agent, as the Pelicans refused to renew his 10-day contract. He featured in 3 games and averaged 7.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
#5 - Iman Shumpert
Although not one of the most popular names in the NBA, Shumpert has won a championship ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 30-year-old guard was traded to the Kings in 2018 after picking up a knee injury in December 2017.
He did not make an appearance for the Kings for the remainder of the 2017-18 season but was impressive in the new season before he was snatched by the Houston Rockets.
His run with the Brooklyn Nets is an interesting one as he has been signed three times by the Nets from 2019 t0 2021. He was initially brought in because Wilson Chandler was serving a 25-game suspension. However, he was waived immediately after the suspension ended.
He was signed again in January 2021 but was waived after one game. His most recent deal was a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. The player is now back to being a free agent now as he was not retained upon expiration of the deal.