Every Monday, The Vertical Front-Office Insider Bobby Marks, a 20-year executive with the Nets, will examine the weekly thought processes of NBA teams and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the everyday grind of putting a team together.

With the Feb. 18 trade deadline nearing, we’ll also look at the early preparations teams will set in motion.

THE MINDSET OF THE FRONT OFFICE

The background work

NBA teams have a library of background reports that includes information on every individual player. The information is a valuable resource during the season, especially at the trade deadline. Besides actually scouting a game live in person or on tape, a big focus for scouts is gathering intelligence. For a player such as Phoenix’s Markieff Morris, finding a key background nugget could make or break a potential deal.





There is also a greater focus on the medical history of potential trade targets. For a player like Detroit’s Brandon Jennings, general managers are meeting with their medical teams to dig deeper into a player’s recent injuries. The biggest mistake a team could make is trading for a player who eventually fails his trade physical.

Holding off on signing 10-day contracts

There are eight teams since Jan. 5 that have signed players to 10-day contracts. With the All-Star Game and trade deadline approaching, teams will not need to fill open roster spots, especially because any player who is signed this week will still receive compensation during the All-Star break even though there are no games being played.



Identifying teams with an open roster spot

In addition to the Feb. 18 trade deadline, teams also have an eye on the March 1 buyout date. The first day in March signals the last day when a waived player is eligible for the playoffs.



Joe Johnson could help teams down the stretch. (Getty Images) More

For playoff teams with 15 guaranteed contracts, creating an open space could be an under-the-radar move. Adding a key veteran like David Lee or Joe Johnson for the stretch run could be more valuable than adding a piece in mid-February.

Most teams still have cash at their disposal to send to a team as compensation to pay the rest of a player’s salary.

THE 10-DAY CONTRACTS

Teams with open roster spots are eligible to sign a player for 10 days. Teams are only permitted to sign a player to two 10-day contracts.



Teams with players on 10-day contracts:

LA Clippers: Jeff Ayres’ second 10-day contract expires Feb. 11.

Memphis: Ryan Hollins’ second 10-day contract expires Feb. 10.

New Orleans: Bryce Dejean-Jones’ second 10-day contract expires Feb. 10.

Phoenix: Jordan McRae's second 10-day contract will expire Feb. 17.

Phoenix: Orlando Johnson’s first 10-day contract will expire Feb. 14.

Utah: Erick Green’s second 10-day contract will expire Feb. 14.

TRADED PLAYER EXCEPTION

There are eight trade exceptions that will expire at the deadline, led by Oklahoma City’s $2.2 million and Houston’s $1.6 million.



Minnesota and Houston both have smaller trade exceptions of $816,482 that will expire on Feb. 10 and 19, respectively.

DISABLED PLAYER EXCEPTION

Four teams, Brooklyn ($3.1 million), Denver ($5.2 million), New Orleans ($1.7 million) and Washington ($2.8 million) have disabled player exceptions.



The exceptions will expire March 10 and can only be used to sign, acquire or claim a player in the last year of his contract.

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