While non-guaranteed NBA contracts don’t technically become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10, Jan. 7 is really the day to watch. Because players have to clear waivers before Jan. 10 to avoid having their salaries locked in for the rest of 2019-20, a team will have to release a player by next Tuesday at the latest to avoid guaranteeing his contract.
As our list of non-guaranteed contracts by team shows, there are a number of players around the NBA who don’t have fully guaranteed deals, though many are in no danger of being waived by next Tuesday. It’s not as if the Lakers are seriously considering whether or not to guarantee Dwight Howard‘s minimum salary. Ditto for the Jazz and Royce O’Neale, and several others players on that list.
However, there are at least a handful of players worth keeping an eye on as next Tuesday’s deadline nears. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of them:
Marquese Chriss, F/C (Warriors): A handful of injuries opened a path for Chriss to get regular rotation minutes this season and he has made the most of the opportunity, averaging 7.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 33 games (17.2 MPG). He’s done enough on the court to earn a full salary guarantee, but retaining him would limit the hard-capped Warriors‘ flexibility at the back of their roster. Golden State’s decision on Chriss will likely come down to how confident the team is that minimum-salary players like Alec Burks and Willie Cauley-Stein can be moved without taking back money in return — trading those vets would open up room to promote two-way players Ky Bowman and Damion Lee while keeping Chriss.
