Alright, so the NBA draft just wrapped up. Sixty names called, lots of excitement. But for me, that’s when another kind of scramble starts. I immediately shift my focus to the guys who didn’t hear their names. The undrafted free agents.
Getting Started
First thing I did was get my setup ready. It’s nothing fancy, really. I pulled up my usual sports news sites, but the real action happens elsewhere. I made sure I was logged into my social media, specifically the one with the little blue bird, because that’s where the news breaks fastest.
I have a sort of mental list, and sometimes a written one, of reporters I trust. Guys who usually get the scoops right. I made sure their notifications were on, or at least I was ready to check their feeds constantly. It’s like setting up your listening posts before the messages start flying.
The Frenzy Begins
As soon as Mr. Silver says goodnight, it’s like a dam breaks. Almost instantly, you start seeing reports: “Source: [Player Name] has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the [Team Name].” My thumbs got busy right away. I started scrolling, hitting refresh, trying to catch everything.
It comes in fast. Sometimes multiple reports drop within the same minute. My first step was just capturing the raw info. I wasn’t too worried about perfect formatting yet. I just needed to get the player’s name and the team down.
Sorting Through the Noise
You gotta be careful, though. Sometimes you see conflicting reports, or rumors that don’t pan out. So, while I was grabbing the names, I also tried to see who was reporting it. Was it one of the reporters I trusted? Did multiple sources confirm it? I tried to cross-reference a bit.
I wasn’t digging super deep like a detective, just doing a quick sanity check. If a big-name reporter confirmed it, I felt better about adding it to my list. I basically filtered out the stuff that looked shaky or came from accounts I didn’t recognize.
Keeping Track
How did I keep track? Honestly, pretty simple stuff. Sometimes it’s just a running text file. Other times, if I feel organized, I might throw it into a basic spreadsheet. Nothing complicated.
- Player Name
- Team
- Type of Deal (if reported)
- Source (sometimes, just for my reference)
I saw lots of different deals mentioned. Some guys get “two-way contracts,” others get these “Exhibit 10” deals, which are basically training camp invites with a chance to stick around or maybe land in the G League. I noted down what was reported, but didn’t sweat the details too much at first. The main thing was tracking who landed where.
It’s Not Over in One Night
This whole process isn’t just for the hour after the draft. It goes on for days, even weeks. Signings keep trickling in. So, I kept checking back periodically. Maybe scroll through the feeds again the next morning, see if any more deals got done overnight or if any earlier reports were corrected or confirmed.
I updated my list as new information came in. It’s a bit messy, but that’s the nature of it. Information flies around, and you just try to piece it together as best you can. It’s kind of interesting watching these players find homes after the big draft show is over. It’s a different kind of hustle, both for them and for folks like me trying to keep score.
