When Seth Curry signed his 10-day contract with the Suns today, he became a member of a not-so-exclusive club. Players that teams let go at the end of the preseason to trim to the 15-man regular season roster limit are usually lightly regarded, but Curry is now one of 23 camp cuts currently occupying a place on an NBA roster. That means approximately 15% of camp invitees who didn’t make it to opening night have made their way back to the league. The percentage would be even higher if we included those who appeared on regular season rosters earlier this season but are no longer in the Association.
That total of 23 also doesn’t count either Jordan Hamilton or Chris Johnson, since both were waived in advance of opening night but claimed off waivers by other teams. Many of the 23 are on 10-day contracts, while others have already established themselves as fixtures for the team. There’s no name more prominent among them than Hassan Whiteside, who slipped through the hands of the Grizzlies at the end of the preseason and again in November before the Heat snapped him up. Michael Beasley is another Grizzlies camp refugee who’s now with the Heat, hoping his second 10-day contract will lead to a deal for the rest of the season and a Whiteside-like breakthrough.
Here’s the complete list of 23, with details on how they went from camp cuts to regular season players:
- Seth Curry — Cut from the Magic on October 25th; signed a 10-day contract with the Suns on March 11th.
- Jabari Brown — Cut from the Lakers on October 25th; re-signed with Lakers on March 10th.
- Michael Beasley — Cut from the Grizzlies on October 9th; signed the first of a pair of 10-day contracts with the Heat on February 26th.
- Jerrelle Benimon — Cut from the Nuggets on October 27th; signed a 10-day contract with the Jazz on March 6th.
- Bryce Cotton — Cut from the Spurs on October 23rd; signed the first of a pair of 10-day contracts with the Jazz on February 24th.
- Jarell Eddie — Cut from the Celtics on October 27th; signed a 10-day contract with the Hawks on March 5th.
- Elliot Williams — Cut from the Sixers on October 27th; signed the first of a pair of 10-day contracts with the Jazz on January 7th; signed a 10-day contract with the Hornets on February 4th; signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans on March 4th.
- Earl Barron — Cut from the Suns on October 25th; re-signed with the Suns on the first of a pair of 10-day contracts on February 21st.
- Bernard James — Cut from the Mavericks on October 25th; re-signed with the Mavs on February 11th to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- Quincy Miller — Cut from the Nuggets on October 27th; signed the first of a pair of 10-day contracts with the Kings on January 17th; signed the first of a pair of 10-day contracts with the Pistons on February 21st.
- JaMychal Green — Cut from the Spurs on October 25th; re-signed with the Spurs on a 10-day contract on January 18th; signed with the Grizzlies on February 2nd to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a multiyear deal.
- John Lucas III — Cut from the Wizards on October 25th; signed with the Pistons on February 2nd to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- Reggie Williams — Cut from the Heat on October 13th; signed with the Spurs on January 28th to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- James McAdoo — Cut from the Warriors on October 25th; re-signed with the Warriors on January 19th to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- Tyler Johnson — Cut from the Heat on October 25th; re-signed with the Heat on January 12th to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- Dahntay Jones — Cut from the Jazz on October 22nd; signed with the Clippers on January 14th to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- Langston Galloway — Cut from the Knicks on October 25th; re-signed with the Knicks on January 7th to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- Elijah Millsap — Cut from the Bucks on October 16th; re-signed with the Jazz on January 5th to the first of a pair of 10-day contracts that led to a deal for the rest of the season.
- Darius Morris — Cut from the Trail Blazers on October 25th; signed with Nets on December 11th.
- Hassan Whiteside — Cut from the Grizzlies on October 22nd; re-signed with the Grizzlies on November 19th; waived by the Grizzlies on November 20th; signed with the Heat on November 24th,
- Robert Covington — Cut from the Rockets on October 27th; signed with the Sixers on November 15th.
- Ish Smith — Cut from the Rockets on October 27th; signed with the Thunder on November 7th; traded on February 19th to the Pelicans, who immediately waived him; claimed off waivers by the Sixers on February 21st.
- J.J. Barea — Cut from the Timberwolves on October 27th; signed with the Mavericks on October 29th.