Treasure trove of 10-day titillation

The NBA allows teams to sign free agents to 10-day contracts beginning on Tuesday. Go ahead, try to contain the excitement you’re feeling.

With that in mind, here is enough info to make you sound as smart as Ken Jennings when it comes to the Utah Jazz’s history of 10-day contracts. You can thank me later for spending hours of fun in the Jazz media guide if you share this 411 when/if the team picks up a guy on a 10-day deal:

- The Jazz have signed 21 different players to 10-day contracts over the years.
- The Jazz’s first 10-day recipient was Brad Davis back in the 1979-80 inaugural season in the Beehive State.
- The Jazz’s last 10-day contractee was, of course, Louis Amundson, who lasted from Feb. 7-27 on consecutive short-term deals in 2007.
- Stephen Howard has the all-time Jazz record of four 10-day contracts.
- Darren Morningstar (three days) and Andy Toolson (four days) had the shortest 10-day stints.
- Mel Bennett, Jim Farmer, Dan O’Sullivan, Stephen Howard (twice), James Donaldson, Rusty LaRue, Mikki Moore, Randy Livingston and Ben Handlogten each parlayed a 10-day contract into contracts for the remainder of the season.
- The Jazz did not sign any players to 10-day contracts from the 1981-82 season through the 1987-88 campaign.

1979-80: Brad Davis
1980-81: Dick Miller, Mel Bennett
1982-88: None
1988-89: Jim Farmer, Eric White
1990-91: Dan O’Sullivan
1992-93: Henry James
1993-94: Chad Gallagher, Darren Morningstar, Stephen Howard
1994-95: Walter Bond, James Donaldson
1995-96: Andy Toolson
1996-97: Ruben Nembhard, Stephen Howard
1997-98: William Cunningham
2001-02: Rusty LaRue
2003-04: Paul Grant, Mikki Moore
2004-05: Randy Livingston, Ben Handlogten
2006-07: Louis Amundson

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Had to laugh when I found out my Utah Jazz Extra column from today was picked up by somebody in New Zealand.

The part that made me laugh?

Daniel Lee didn’t post the link on his Twitter account because he is an NBA, Jazz or basketball fan. The link was picked up and posted because it had the words “ping-pong balls” in the headline, making it a natural fit for the NZpingponggeek Twitter page.

Hopefully his sport’s enthusiasts won’t be too bitterly disappointed to find out I was referring to the pre-NBA Draft lottery and not table tennis.