What (Very Recent) History Tells Us About How Jeff Carroll’s NBA Career Might Go

Jeffrey Carroll wasn’t selected in last week’s NBA Draft, but his professional career is still off and running after agreeing to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Exhibit 10 agreements are partially guaranteed contracts that, as we noted previously, are plenty confusing. But the long and short is that Carroll is in line for a hefty bonus if he signs a contract with the Lakers’ G League squad. That’s no guarantee, but it’s a foot in the door to work his way up.

Via the Arizona Daily Star, here’s what Carroll has signed up for and is eligible to receive as a part of his deal:

• Players can be given bonuses ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 for attending summer league and fall training camp.
• They are otherwise not guaranteed and pay only the minimum NBA salary if a player makes the team.
• If the player is cut, the team has the right to convert the Exhibit 10 to a standard two-way contract.

Exhibit 10 deals are new to the NBA after being added into the CBA in 2017, but Carroll isn’t the first player to sign to a similar contract. Last year, for example, South Carolina’s P.J. Dozier signed with the Mavericks on an Exhibit 10 deal. Dozier was eventually waived by Dallas and claimed by OKC, where he spent much of the season in the G League. He appeared in two games for the Thunder, where he played 1.5 minutes and scored 1 point.

Former Conference USA player of the Year Jacorey Williams signed a similar deal last summer with the Cavs. Williams, who played at Arkansas but spent his final season at Middle Tennessee, averaged 15.6 points per game in the G League playing for the Canton Charge after signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers on an Exhibit 10 deal. Williams didn’t get called up to the big time with the Cavs last season, though he could get some run if LeBron bolts for the West Coast next season.

With the Exhibit 10 deal somewhat of a new phenomenon, Carroll’s NBA career will be hard to project, at least based off recent history. But he can blaze a new trail of success for those who have taken a similar path.

Among the notable players who have also signed Exhibit 10 deals this offseason include Arizona’s Rawle Alkins (Raptors) and USC’s Elijah Stewart (Pacers). Only time will tell if Carroll — or any of the other new faces in the NBA hoping to break through — can overcome the partially guaranteed contract to emerge as a contributor in the league.