10-Day Contract Candidates Who Could Help Your NBA Team

The 10-day contract is the holy grail for players currently suiting up in the NBA D-League. 

It's a chance for them to ply their trade on a bigger stage, earning larger contracts and playing in front of far more people. Perform well while on that temporary deal—which lasts for either 10 days or three games—and they have a chance to earn another one. And if that goes well, they can stick in the NBA with a guaranteed contract, successfully moving up to basketball's highest level. 

This time of year, plenty of 10-day contracts are handed out, given by teams hoping to take a flier on a high-upside prospect or signing a veteran to fill in for an injured player. According to HoopsRumors.com, 13 players have already received one, including Elijah Millsap, Dahntay Jones, JaMychal Green, Kenyon Martin and Nate Wolters. 

But they won't be the only ones granted such an opportunity. 

There are dozens and dozens of players in the D-League capable of getting a shot at the NBA level, but these 10 are the most likely to make an immediate impact and have a legitimate shot at sticking around for at least a second set of games. Based on their levels of experience, their upside and the NBA-ready nature of their skills, they all deserve a chance at the big time. 

10. Glen Rice Jr.

Tim Cattera/Getty Images

Team: Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Position: SG

Age: 24

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks

Glen Rice Jr. has already followed quite the strange career trajectory. 

He became one of the few prospects to use the D-League as a springboard to draft-day success, parlaying a successful run to the league's title game in 2012-13 into a second-round selection with the Washington Wizards. But after suiting up in just 16 games over two years—and even posting a minus-3.6 player efficiency rating in five appearances this season, per Basketball-Reference.com—he's back where he started. 

Now with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Rice is hoping for another chance at the sport's highest level. But in order to stick, he'll need to develop that one elite skill that allows him to make a name for himself, and that's still very much a work in progress. 

At this point, the 24-year-old 2-guard is a flier. He's not an established player who's dominating in the D-League, and his excellent run in 2012-13 is seeming more like a fluke by the day. But Rice has the NBA pedigree that should earn him another opportunity in the Association, and his well-rounded play could make him a useful deep-bench player right away. 

Honorable Mentions: Khem Birch, Bryce Cotton, Jared Cunningham, Eric Griffin, Brady Heslip, Chris Johnson, Toure Murry, Willie Reed, Tyrus Thomas, Jarvis Varnado

9. Peyton Siva

Otto Kitsinger/Getty Images

Team: Erie BayHawks

Position: PG

Age: 24

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.1 blocks

After the Detroit Pistons selected Peyton Siva with the No. 56 pick of the 2013 NBA draft, the Louisville point guard received nothing more than a cup of coffee in the big leagues. He suited up 24 times, averaging 2.3 points, 0.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while struggling mightily with his shot. 

It wasn't enough for him to stick, but he's shown tremendous improvement while playing with the Erie BayHawks. 

In 18 games this season, Siva is continuing to look like a strong rebounder, especially given his diminutive stature, and he's still dazzling as an assist man. Not only is he averaging 2.2 more dimes per 36 minutes than he did last year with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, but his turnovers are down over the same span. 

Unfortunately, his perimeter stroke is off, and that's the biggest knock on his game at the moment. But if a team can get him the right looks, then this 24-year-old point guard is more than capable of serving as a primary distributor off the bench. 

8. Jordan Hamilton

Jack Arent/Getty Images

Team: Reno Bighorns

Position: SG/SF

Age: 24

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks

Jordan Hamilton still hasn't developed a knack for playmaking, despite being a few years removed from his Texas Longhorns career, but he's continued to develop as a scoring threat from the wings.

During his 2014-15 campaign with the Reno Bighorns, the 6'7" prospect has averaged 15.8 points per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and spending a decent amount of time at the charity stripe, where he hits at an 81.4 percent clip. That combination has allowed him to carry a large scoring load for his D-League squad, and he's been comfortable doing so.

However, his jumper is still shaky, which limits him to serving as a slashing threat. At least he has the body control and athleticism to thrive in that role. Plus, he performed nicely from beyond the arc during his three seasons with the Denver Nuggets, and he was recently thought of as a first-round talent. 

Hamilton has the scoring intelligence and size necessary to receive a 10-day contract. Whether it turns into a long-term role with a team, however, is highly dependent on his success from outside the arc. If he can break out of the cold spell that has seen him hit just 28.2 percent of his triples this year, the prospects will be much better. 

7. Adonis Thomas

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Team: Grand Rapids Drive

Position: SF

Age: 21

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks

When Adonis Thomas was leaving Memphis, he was a raw prospect with plenty of upside, based largely on his ridiculous amounts of athleticism and strength. As Michael Visenberg wrote for NBADraft.net, "Will be much more difficult to use his strength at the NBA level, skillset will need a great deal of refinement to play on the wing." 

Well, now he's had time to develop that skill set. 

Thomas still isn't a solid distributor from the wings, but at least he can score with significantly more efficiency. After shooting just over 40 percent from the field during his final season with the Tigers and making less than 30 percent of his triples, the young forward has worked on his shooting. He's still in the same ballpark from the field, but he's made 36.6 percent of his downtown attempts while taking 5.6 per game, and he's rarely missing from the free-throw stripe. 

Let's not forget that Thomas doesn't turn 22 until this March. He's still younger than many collegiate players with NBA hopes and dreams.

That youth should play to his advantage as struggling teams look to take shots at players with enduring upside. 

6. Drew Crawford

Otto Kitsinger/Getty Images

Team: Erie BayHawks

Position: SG/SF

Age: 24

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks

As Brian Kotloff wrote for NBADLeague.com, Drew Crawford is on the rise and should start garnering some serious attention from NBA squads in the near future: 

"

He may not be as dynamic as the league's top wings, but Crawford could be worth a flyer for an NBA team looking for dependability over upside. With a jump shot and an understanding of the game that makes him a fit for any system, the Northwestern product resembles recent Jazz Call-Up Patrick Christopher.

He’s already topped 20 points in eight games—including Friday in Delaware...while serving as Seth Curry’s wing man, giving the D-League’s deadliest scorer room to operate.

"

After making the All-Big Ten Third Team during his final season at Northwestern, Crawford went undrafted during the most recent selection process. But he hasn't let that deter him, as he's since signed with the Erie BayHawks and thrived as a well-rounded scorer. 

Crawford is doing more than averaging 17.1 points per game and drawing defensive attention away from Seth Curry. He's putting up those numbers while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc on 4.3 tries per contest. 

His resume coming out of Northwestern may not have been impressive enough to get an NBA look.

It is now. 

5. Earl Barron

Tim Cattera/Getty Images

Team: Bakersfield Jam

Position: C

Age: 33

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 20.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks

"He was the last cut of the Phoenix Suns, and he should've made the team. He can shoot, and he's sticking around for the NBA instead of going overseas," a longtime scout said about the 33-year-old big man currently playing with the Bakersfield Jam, per Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears.

Ever since leaving Memphis in 2003 and going undrafted, Earl Barron has been a remarkably well-traveled basketball player.

He's gained experience while playing with Tuborg Pilsener in Turkey, Red Bull Barako and Meralco Bolts in the Philippines, GMAC Bologna in Italy and Atleticos de San German in Puerto Rico. He's suited up for the D-League's Jam, Albuquerque Thunderbirds, Los Angeles D-Fenders, Huntsville Flight, Florida Flame and Iowa Energy. In the NBA, he's played for the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards.

Barron is practically the textbook definition of a journeyman, but he's playing some of the best basketball of his career. He still has that 7-footer's frame, and now he has the confidence to go with it, averaging a strong 20/10 line with Bakersfield.

With so much size and experience, as well as the ability to space out the court with his work from beyond the arc, Barron can certainly fit in—and stick—with any team needing an emergency big who won't just sit on the bench. After all, how many 7-footers do you know of who can both crash the boards and knock down 34.7 percent of their three-point attempts?

4. Renaldo Balkman

Sergio Hentschel/Getty Images

Team: Texas Legends

Position: SF/PF

Age: 30

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 15.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.1 blocks

Renaldo Balkman's reputation, not his actual basketball ability, is the primary thing working against him in his attempt to return to the NBA. The 30-year-old forward head-butted Greivis Vasquez during a 2011 FIBA game. Then, two years later, he compounded his notoriety by choking Arwind Santos, his teammate on the Petron Blaze Boosters, and received a lifetime ban from the Philippine Basketball Association.

"He said critics have targeted his overall game, his attitude (banned from playing in the Filipino league) and his look (dreadlocks and a collection of tattoos that includes the words HUSTLE and HARDER above his eye lids)," Jeff Miller recently reported for USA Today. 

But, as Balkman told TAB Sports back in August, his ultimate goal is to get back to the NBA, and he feels that he only needs a single shot to prove that he's a different person now than he was during his days of misbehavior. 

So far, it seems as though he's backing up his words with actions for the Texas Legends. 

There haven't been any negative headlines during his time in the Lone Star State. Instead, he's using his energy to provide a two-way presence, dominate on the glass and score with remarkable efficiency. While putting up nearly 16 points per contest, Balkman is actually shooting over 60 percent from the field. 

"His behavior has been off the charts," Texas head coach Eduardo Najera told Miller about his energy- and intensity-laden forward. "He's been our most consistent player."

3. Tim Frazier

Jack Arent/Getty Images

Team: Maine Red Claws

Position: PG

Age: 24

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 15.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.4 steals, 0.2 blocks

Calling Tim Frazier the "biggest riser" in the D-League, Kotloff had nothing but good things to say about the 24-year-old point guard in his recent analysis: 

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Frazier has raised his game seemingly every week as his command of Maine's system gets sharper and sharper, and he may be peaking at just the right time. An NBA team searching for a backup point guard to groom won't find a better option.

He's leading a 15-3 team on both ends, making all the key plays down the stretch and attacking the rim with conviction. He showed the total package in his game-clinching second-chance bucket in Westchester to open the New Year.

"

Frazier is the rare high-upside floor general who can contribute right away.

After all, he plays defense as though his job depends on it—it usually does—and he possesses a deadly offensive game that features a combination of playmaking ability, a knack for getting to the basket and a perimeter shot that, while still poor, has gotten better as the season has progressed. In six January games, Frazier has connected on 41.7 percent of his deep looks, raising his season average to an even 30 percent. 

This guard wasn't particularly special at Penn State, and it was always a long shot that he would be drafted by an NBA squad. But now, his hard work should pay off with a 10-day contract and an opportunity to compete at the sport's highest level. 

2. Damien Wilkins

Jason Bradwell/Getty Images

Team: Iowa Energy

Position: SG/SF

Age: 35

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.5 blocks

Other than the 38-year-old Mike James, Damien Wilkins is arguably the oldest D-League prospect with a legitimate shot at sticking in the NBA. But even at 35 years old, the swingman is showing that he has some spring in his step, and his game looks better than it ever has during a lengthy professional career. 

Wilkins is providing the Iowa Energy with an insane amount of production. He's averaging 23 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, and he's doing so while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 79 percent at the charity stripe. Defense has really been the only issue with his game. 

The last time this wing player suited up in the NBA was back in 2012-13, when he started 21 games and made 61 appearances for the Philadelphia 76ers. He's also lined up for the Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons since finishing up his collegiate career as a Georgia Bulldog. 

Is it possible that the best is yet to come? 

Every once in a while, there's a player with an exceedingly strange career trajectory. Based on the improvements we've seen from Wilkins and the spry nature of his aging body, he could very well buck the typical aging curve and make a significant impact. At the very least, he's worth signing to a 10-day contract as a veteran presence. 

1. Seth Curry

Rich Obrey/Getty Images

Team: Erie BayHawks

Position: PG/SG

Age: 24

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.1 blocks

The D-League's leading scorer has a last name that's rather appealing to NBA teams, given the success of his brother and father, but it's his game that's even more likely to get him another look in the Association. Seth Curry may still struggle on the defensive end of the court and doesn't have elite levels of athleticism, but he can flat-out stroke the ball. 

Though he's turnover prone, Curry has been an improved distributor during the 2014-15 season with the Erie BayHawks. Nonetheless, it's still his shooting that stands out in a big way. 

En route to those 25.4 points per game, the 24-year-old shooting guard is knocking down 49.7 percent of his shots from the field, 52.1 percent from beyond the arc (on 7.9 attempts per game!) and 92.9 percent of his free-throw attempts. He's scoring in catch-and-shoot situations, and it's not as though he's struggling when he has to put the ball on the floor, which is a bit different than what we saw during the Duke portion of his basketball career. 

At 6'2", Curry is a bit undersized if he hopes to serve as a true shooting guard. If he hopes to play more of a combo-guard role, he'll have to keep working on his distributing. But his "natural" position shouldn't matter right now, as he's far too talented a scorer to remain in the D-League for that much longer. 

The youngest big-name member of this family of elite shooters, Curry only has two NBA games under his belt—one with the Memphis Grizzlies and another with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

It's time for a third.