For D-League players, most will have January 5th, 2017 circled on their calendar. Why is that date so important? It’s the first day NBA teams can sign players to 10-day contracts. It’s the reason many players come to the D-League in the first place, to showcase their skills in the hopes of landing with an NBA team.
Last season in the Raptors 905 inaugural year, two players signed 10-day contracts: Axel Toupane, who got two 10-day contracts followed by a multi-year deal from the Nuggets (before getting cut in training camp), and Greg Smith, who received two 10-day contracts followed by a deal for the remainder of the season from the Timberwolves.