It’s a busy transaction period in the NBA for the next month. On Monday, January 5, teams can begin signing players to 10 Day contracts. With nearly half of the league having an open roster spot, we put together a list of callup candidates to watch.
The NBA trade deadline is on Thursday, February 5. We’ll have plenty of deadline-related content coming for you over the next month.
Later this week, another important deadline lands on the NBA calendar. On Saturday, January 10, all NBA contract become fully guaranteed…kind of. In reality, these deals will fully guarantee on Wednesday, January 7. This is because players have to clear waivers before January 10. In order for players to have their 48 hours on waivers, they have to be waived by January 7.
Got all that? Good! Now, we’re going to go through each of the 30 players who have a guarantee-decision to be made and give a projection on what we think is going to happen.
A couple of notes:
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We aren’t covering two-way players here. They also become fully guaranteed if not waived on January 7. But since there are no cap/tax/apron impacts, teams aren’t shy about waiving guaranteed two-way players after the guarantee date.
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The salary listed is how much the player will become fully guaranteed for, if not waived on January 7.
Atlanta Hawks
N’Faly Dante - $2.0 million
Dante is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL. The Hawks already have an open roster spot, so that won’t factor in here. Atlanta is also over $5 million clear of the tax line, which should be enough room to make deadline moves. They also have Dante on a fully non-guaranteed $2.4 million contract for next season. All of that adds up to likely guaranteeing his deal this year.
Mouhamed Gueye - $2.2 million
Gueye is a lock to have his deal guaranteed. He’d been a regular rotation player for Atlanta, until the last couple of weeks. The real decision will come in June with picking up his team option for 2026-27, or making him a restricted free agent.
Vit Krejci - $2.3 million
Another lock to become fully guaranteed. Krejci has filled the Hawks sixth-man role, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker being pushed into the starting lineup a lot.
Keaton Wallace - $2.3 million
Make it four-for-four with Hawks becoming guaranteed. Wallace is a solid depth option for Atlanta at point guard. With Trae Young having been banged up and in trade rumors, Wallace isn’t going anywhere.
Boston Celtics
Jordan Walsh - $2.2 million
Walsh has emerged as a key rotation player for Boston. He’s regularly guarding the opponent’s best offensive player, while shooting a red-hot 47.3% from behind the arc. Walsh is a lock to have his contract guaranteed.
Brooklyn Nets
Tyrese Martin - $2.2 million
The Nets will probably guarantee Martin’s contract, unless some reason comes up to need a roster spot. But with Brooklyn still sitting on $15.3 million in cap space, there is no financial reason to waive Martin.
Jalen Wilson - $2.2 million
See the above. The same applies to Wilson as it does for Tyrese Martin.
Charlotte Hornets
Moussa Diabate - $2.3 million
Diabate has emerged over the last season-plus to become a very solid backup, and he can hold his own as a starting center in a pinch. Diabate will have his deal fully guaranteed.
Chicago Bulls
No guarantee decisions
Cleveland Cavaliers
Thomas Bryant - $2.3 million
Bryant doesn’t always play, but he’s generally solid when he sees time. Given the Cavs have dealt with injuries to both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley this season, Bryant will stick around.
Craig Porter Jr. - $2.2 million
This is fairly similar to Thomas Bryant’s situation, but at the guard spot for Cleveland. Porter will have his deal guaranteed.
Dean Wade - $6.6 million
Wade’s contract is already guaranteed for $4.6 million. That alone makes it likely that he’d be fully guaranteed. But the real reason Wade will become fully guaranteed is because he’s a key rotation player for the Cavaliers.
Dallas Mavericks
Brandon Williams - $2.3 million
The Mavs will eventually need to create a roster spot to convert Ryan Nembhard from his two-way deal. However, that spot probably won’t come at the expense of Williams. He’s likely to have his deal guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Denver Nuggets
No guarantee decisions
Detroit Pistons
Javonte Green - $2.3 million
Green is a rotation player for the Pistons. He’s not going anywhere.
Isaac Jones - $1.9 million
Detroit could waive Jones for some minor savings, while also opening up a roster spot ahead of the trade deadline. The Pistons also will convert Daniss Jenkins from his two-way deal eventually. That all adds up to Jones likely being waived at some point.
Golden State Warriors
Trayce Jackson-Davis - $2.2 million
Jackson-Davis is no longer an every-night guy in the Warriors frontcourt rotation, but he’s still someone the team likes. Jackson-Davis will have his deal fully guaranteed.
Gui Santos - $2.2 million
Santos is regularly called upon by Steve Kerr to change the energy in games. He’s not going anywhere.
Houston Rockets
No guarantee decisions
Indiana Pacers
Tony Bradley - $2.9 million
Unless the Pacers need to create a roster spot, they’ll likely keep Bradley. He doesn’t play every night, but he’s given Rick Carlisle a veteran depth option in a frontcourt that’s been hit by injuries.
Micah Potter - $1.5 million
This felt like a pseudo-10 Day contract when it was signed. But Potter is now starting for Indiana. He’s probably going to stick around and see his deal fully guaranteed.
LA Clippers
No guarantee decisions
Los Angeles Lakers
No guarantee decisions
Memphis Grizzlies
No guarantee decisions
Miami Heat
Terry Rozier III - $26.6 million
Despite Rozier being on leave while his involvement in a gaming scandal is investigated, he’s not being waived. His contract was nearly fully guaranteed already, and could be a valuable salary-matching chip in a trade…assuming the Heat are allowed to trade him. For now, Rozier will have the last little bit of his deal guaranteed and he’ll continue to be out of sight, out of mind while the investigation continues.
Milwaukee Bucks
Amir Coffey - $2.3 million
If the Bucks think they need a roster spot, Coffey could be waived. Milwaukee is well clear of the luxury tax line, so no real savings are needed. They don’t have a clear two-way conversion coming either. This could be about future roster spot planning, but it’s more likely that Coffey will have his contract guaranteed.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Bones Hyland - $2.3 million
Hyland is a regular rotation guy for the Wolves and a favorite of the front office. He’s not going anywhere.
New Orleans Pelicans
No guarantee decisions
New York Knicks
Mohamed Diawara - $1.3 million
Diawara has been seeing some rotation run for the Knicks recently. More importantly, with things extremely tight for New York under their second-apron hard cap, the team needs Diawara on his $1.3 million rookie minimum salary. He sticks.
Ariel Hukporti - $1.9 million
Hukporti is a semi-regular rotation guy for New York, when Karl-Anthony Towns or Mitchell Robinson is out. He’ll stick around for the season for that reason, and for similar apron-related reasons to Mohamed Diawara.
Landry Shamet - $2.3 million
Shamet is injured at the moment, but he’s been one of the first guards off the bench for Mike Brown. He’ll have his deal fully guaranteed.
Oklahoma City Thunder
No guarantee decisions
Orlando Magic
No guarantee decisions
Philadelphia 76ers
No guarantee decisions
Phoenix Suns
Jordan Goodwin - $2.3 million
No doubt here that Goodwin will have his deal guaranteed. He’s an important rotation player for the Suns.
Portland Trail Blazers
No guarantee decisions
Sacramento Kings
Precious Achiuwa - $2.1 million
Achiuwa has been elevated to the starting lineup for the Kings and has played well. With Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray dealing with injuries, Achiuwa will have his deal fully guaranteed for the rest of the season.
San Antonio Spurs
Bismack Biyombo - $2.3 million
The Spurs could possibly use a roster spot, but they’re also $5.6 million clear of the luxury tax. That means there is no clear reason to waive Biyombo. The veteran center, who is prized for his leadership in a stay-ready role, will stick around.
Lindy Waters III - $2.3 million
Waters is in a similar spot to Biyombo. San Antonio likes his shooting as a deeper bench option. Unless the Spurs feel they need a roster spot, Waters will see his deal guaranteed.
Toronto Raptors
Mo Bamba - $1.4 million
This was one of those pseudo-10 Day contracts. Bamba was signed because Toronto needed immediate frontcourt depth with Jakob Poeltl out with a back injury. The Raptors will probably waive Bamba, but then will re-sign him, now that actual 10 Day deals can be inked. That will avoid adding to the amount Toronto will need to shed by the trade deadline to avoid the luxury tax this season.
Utah Jazz
No guarantee decisions
Washington Wizards
Justin Champagnie - $2.3 million
Champagnie is a regular rotation player for the Wizards. The team is well clear of the luxury tax, so guaranteeing Champagnie won’t impact Washington’s ability to shuffle the roster around the trade deadline by taking on bad money for future assets. Champagnie will stick around and continue to play every game for the Wizards.

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