Training camp is a time of uncertainty for players without fully guaranteed salary, but most of the players who’ve agreed to those kinds of contracts this summer will see at least a nominal partial guarantee. Still, there are several others who have no such promises.
Players who sign contracts with no guaranteed money at all during the offseason fall under the definition of summer contracts. These deals are almost always for the minimum salary, though they need not be, and they can cover multiple seasons or just one, but all summer contracts, in the technical meaning of the term, have no guaranteed money. A stricter definition applies to Exhibit 9 contracts, which stipulate that the franchise owes the player no more than $6K if he’s hurt while performing for the team. All other contracts hold that teams must continue to pay players who suffer on-the-job injuries at least until they’re ready to play again, regardless of the level of guarantee on the contract. Exhibit 9 contracts must be for one season at the minimum salary with no guaranteed money, and teams can’t sign a player to an Exhibit 9 if they don’t already have 14 contracts that aren’t summer contracts.
Below is a list of players who are either on summer contracts or have reportedly agreed to sign deals that don’t include any guaranteed salary. Note that the list doesn’t include players who have non-guaranteed salary but are on contracts that predate the offseason.
- Keith Benson, Heat
- Deonte Burton, Suns
- Coty Clarke, Celtics
- Jared Cunningham, Cavaliers
- Eric Griffin, Pistons
- Corey Hawkins, Heat
- Chuck Hayes, Rockets
- Michael Holyfield, Grizzlies
- Cory Jefferson, Suns
- Marcus Landry, Bucks
- Phil Pressey, Trail Blazers
- Jason Richardson, Hawks
- Jaleel Roberts, Wizards
- Henry Sims, Suns
- Greg Whittington, Heat
- Remi Yusuf, Rockets
- Talib Zanna, Thunder
A few well-known figures appear here, including Jason Richardson and Chuck Hayes. Veterans are less inclined to play in the D-League if they don’t make it onto NBA rosters. Sometimes teams employ a strategy of offering camp invitees small partial guarantees to augment the tiny D-League salaries, which are less than $20K in some cases, in an effort to convince them to join their D-League affiliates after NBA training camp, but that often doesn’t hold much appeal when it comes to established NBA names.
Which of these players do you think has the best chance to stick with his team for opening night? Leave a comment to tell us.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
I think Henry Sims & Phil presey both have “breakout” type years. Portland will need a spark off the bench, and the Suns need an actual PF