Tag: 10-day contract

OKC Thunder news: Jaylen Hoard signed to 10-day deal, Aleksej Pokusevski out with flu-like symptoms

Poku is out and Hoard is in.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced a couple of corresponding moves on Friday before its important tank game against the Detroit Pistons, which it trails by 1.5 games in the reverse standings.

The Thunder will be without Aleksej Pokusevski as he deals with flu-like symptoms and has signed Jaylen Hoard to a 10-day hardship exception deal in order to roster the minimum eight active players.

Since February 1, Pokusevski has played phenomenally and has looked like a legit NBA rotation player. In 24 games, Pokusevski has averaged 11.8 points on 44.2 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Hoard played in 20 games with the Thunder last season and averaged 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists. In 39 games with the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue this season, Hoard has averaged 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds.

The 10-day deal will allow Hoard to stay on the Thunder roster for the remainder of the regular season.

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OKC Thunder news: Thunder sign Mamadi Diakite to second 10-day contract

The Thunder signed Mamadi Diakite to a second 10-day deal.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Friday that they have signed Mamadi Diakite to a second 10-day contract. Diakite signed his first 10-day deal on Jan. 11. In four games since then, Diakite has averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds.

Diakite spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, with whom he played 14 games and averaged 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds.

Diakite was a training camp invite but suffered a left hip fracture in the preseason and was waived. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said that the team was impressed with how quickly Diakite recovered from this injury and returned ahead of schedule.

The Thunder are on the road as they face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

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Steve Kerr on Dragan Bender’s future: ‘I would love to give him another 10-days’

Has Dragan Bender earned another 10-day contract with the Golden State Warriors?

During the final stretch of the season, the Golden State Warriors are using the bank end of their roster to experiment with players on 10-day contracts. With 20 games left, Golden State has already circulated through five different players on 10-day deals.

The highest-profile player to come to Golden State on a 10-day contract is 2016 lottery pick, Dragan Bender. The former Phoenix Suns fourth overall draft pick was waived as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019-20 season, leading him to the Warriors.

In six games with Golden State, the 22-year-old big man averaged 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game. Bender started three games during his stint with the Warriors, but struggled to show off his long-distance shot. The Croatian shot 29.2% from 3-point land on 24 attempts in six games.

Although his time in Golden State was up and down, Bender saved his best performance in the final game of his 10-day contract. The center scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting with two makes coming from beyond the arc. Bender added five rebounds and two assists in Golden State’s comeback win against the Denver Nuggets.

Steve Kerr spoke to reporters in Denver about Bender’s future with the team. Golden State’s coach said he wants to keep Bender around for another 10-days if possible.

Via Anthony Slater of The Athletic:

I really like Dragan; I think he’s got a lot of potential. We’ll see what happens going forward. I would love to give him another 10 days if that’s possible. We’ll figure that out as an organization going forward. He’s got a lot of potential, obviously — the fourth pick in the draft, there’s a reason for that. I think he’s shown in the 10-days that if you give him a little confidence, you give him a chance to play and he can gain some confidence he can do a lot of good things out there. He’s helped us win two games in a season when we’ve not won a whole lot of games. He’s helped us win two of the last three and done a great job. He’s fighting; he’s competing. I really like him — I think he’s got a future in the league.

With injuries to Golden State’s frontcourt in Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Alen Smailagic, the Warriors have a need for a presence like Bender. The Warriors will have only one day off with Bender’s contract expired before the Toronto Raptors come to San Francisco on Thursday night.

Mychal Mulder records career-high from beyond the arc in first NBA start

Still on a 10-day contract with the Warriors, Mychal Mulder made his first career NBA start.

While the world is waiting on the return of Stephen Curry, one of his new teammates is quietly earning a roster spot with the Golden State Warriors. Breaking into the rotation can be a tough task for a player on a 10-day contract in the NBA — getting your name in the starting lineup is even more difficult.

The Warriors signed Mychal Mulder to a 10-day contract from the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce on February 26. Four games into his deal, Mulder got the starting nod for the Warriors against the Denver Nuggets.

Before earning the start in Denver, Mulder scored in double-figures off the bench in the past two games while eclipsing 30 minutes in each contest.

The Kentucky product continued his impressive play as a starter in Denver. Mulder scored 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting with all his points coming from beyond the arc. The Canadian guard added three rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes. Mulder’s shooting played a key factor in Golden State’s 15 point comeback win against the Nuggets.

The 25-year-old rookie’s career-high five 3-pointers were more than any amount of long-distance shots he made in a game while at the University of Kentucky.

Mulder has received praise from Steve Kerr during his time in Golden State and is now impressing in a starting role — two positive signs for a player on a 10-day contract. Mulder will have two games left on his deal to build off his notable play.

Mychal Mulder is proving himself as a competitor to Steve Kerr

Steve Kerr praised Mychal Mulder’s defense and competitive toughness after scoring in double figures in back-to-back games.

Trades and injuries have opened up Golden State as a destination for players on 10-day contracts. Since the NBA trade deadline, the Warriors have circulated through a handful of 10-day players in their rotation.

Currently, Golden State has three different players on 10-day deals. Dragan Bender, Mychal Mulder are both with the Warriors on 10-day contracts with Chasson Randle expected to sign a deal with the team soon.

Over the past two games, one player is proving he belongs in the NBA longer than 10-days. Mulder, a former member of the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, has made an impact since joining the Golden State Warriors.

Mulder started his NBA career against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring only two points. However, in the Warriors 18 point comeback against the Phoenix Suns, Mulder tallied 14 points and six rebounds while holding Devin Booker to 21 points on 6-of-16 shooting.

Mulder followed up his impressive game against the Suns with a 17 point effort against the Wizards. The Kentucky product added two rebounds, an assist, block and steal with Washington in town.

After the Warriors 124-110 loss to the Wizards, Kerr praised Mulder as a competitor.

Via Warriors SoundCloud:

He’s a really good player. I’m impressed by not only his shooting but his defense. Last night he took on a really good challenge with Devin Booker. Tonight we out him on Beal at times. He accepts the challenge. Plays bigger than he is. When you’re on a 10-day, it feels like every play is important, every shot is important — it’s not easy to relax and just go play. I thought last night was a really good indication of what kind of competitor he is. He was 0-fo-4, 0-for-5 in the third day of his contract and the clock is ticking and he just kept shooting, kept firing, kept defending and helped us win the game. Came back and had a great game again today. He’s a competitor and a really good player.

Through shooting, defense and praise from his head coach, Mulder is earning more playing time in Golden State. The 6-foot-3 guard will have three more games on his contract before the Warriors have to decide if they want to keep him past 10 days.

Warriors to sign former Stanford product Chasson Randle to 10-day deal

As the Warriors seek help in their backcourt, they’ve turned to a familiar Bay Area face.

With the Warriors desperately needing some help in their backcourt, former Stanford University product Chasson Randle is expected to provide some temporary relief.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony broke the news that Randle, who has been competing in the Chinese Basketball Association, will be released from his contract and will sign with Golden State. The news comes courtesy of Randle’s agent, Darrell Comer.

According to Givony, Randle is one of many former NBA players whose careers and livelihoods have been put on hold due to the Coronavirus outbreak. As the disease has infected more than 87,000 people worldwide, it has had a significant impact on the Chinese economy, including its professional sports contests. The disease itself has disproportionately impacted China, as the epicenter of the crisis is Wuhan in the Hubei province.

The following comes from Givony’s report:

Randle was one of approximately 40 American players — which include former NBA players Jeremy Lin, Lance Stephenson, Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and others — in limbo as the CBA has indefinitely suspended its league due to the coronavirus outbreak… The league is not expected to resume until early April, if at all…

Other prominent names included in the report are Jeremy Lin, Lance Stephenson and Tyler Hansbrough. If the resolution reached between Randle and his Chinese club are any indication, there might be an influx of other NBA-caliber talents soon hitting the NBA free agency market.

In the immediate future, though, the Warriors have someone they can turn to in the backcourt, and he’s a familiar face to those in touch with Bay Area hoops.

Mychal Mulder providing spark off the bench during Warriors 10-day contract

Mychal Mulder scored 14 points off the bench in Golden State’s comeback road win against the Suns.

Injuries and trades have opened up opportunities in the Golden State Warriors rotation. The Dubs have used the back end of their roster to take flyers with 10-day contracts.

The Warriors have rotated through four different players on 10-day deals with the latest being Mychal Mulder. Golden State plucked the 25-year-old shooting guard from the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.1 % from the field and 39.9 % from long distance.

Mulder made his Golden State debut against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring two points while grabbing four rebounds. Against the Suns, with a limited Golden State bench, Mulder took advantage of his extended playing time.

The Kentucky product scored 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting in 34 minutes off the bench. Mulder was able to knock down three timely shots from beyond the arc while grabbing six rebounds in Golden State’s 18-point comeback victory.

After the win, Steve Kerr credited Mulder as a significant factor in the Warriors’ comeback.

Via Warriors SoundCloud:

I thought Mike Mulder played a big role in that. He came off the bench and missed his first four or five shots and very easily could’ve hung his head. He’s on a 10-day, and things weren’t going his way, but the job he did defensively on Booker and then getting a couple of shots to go late in the first half in the second quarter. I thought Mike really sparked us.

Defensively Mulder was matched with fellow former Kentucky Wildcat Devin Booker. The Suns All-Star scored a modest 21 points on 6-of-16 shooting with six turnovers.

Making a strong impression on the head coach while on a 10-day contract is a positive sign for Mulder’s future in the NBA. The 6-foot3 shooting guard’s performance against the Suns should earn him more playing time in the remaining days on his 10-day deal. Mulder will have four more games through the remainder of his contract with Golden State.