Want proof that the NBA is one of the country’s biggest businesses? Look no further than the current situation surrounding Cleveland Cavaliers forward Darnell Jackson.

There are roughly 400 players on the rosters of the league’s 30 teams. And of those 400 players, 375 have guaranteed contracts. Some of the league’s most valued players have deals in place that span five, seven or even 10 years. Others — many others — have signed one-year deals and most rookies are naturally tossed into the rookie pay scale that maps out three-year deals for all first-year players.

Then there’s Jackson, a 2008 Kansas University graduate and one of the most loved and admired Jayhawks of all time. When the Cavs made Jackson the 52nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, they rewarded him with a two-year deal. Such a deal for a second-round pick (which paid him the league minimum of $442,114 last season and approximately $736,420 for this year) served as proof that Cavs GM Danny Ferry and Cleveland coach Mike Brown were big-time fans of the former Jayhawk. For this Jackson was lucky. Only a handful of second-round picks actually end up playing for the teams that drafted them. Furthermore, very few get anything beyond a one-year deal.

http://worldonline.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/blogs/entry_img/2010/Jan/06/ku_unlv_pressers_ncaa_nk03.jpg

The bad end of Jackson’s deal, however, came from the fact that only first-round picks get guaranteed contracts. Teams are not prohibited from guaranteeing money to second-rounders but it doesn’t make much business sense to do so.

Still, Jackson caught on. He played in 51 games a season ago, made two starts and averaged more than eight minutes a game. Not bad numbers for the fifth big man in a team’s rotation and a late second-round selection.

Because the Cavs, like Jayhawk fans everywhere, fell in love with Jackson’s work ethic, toughness and contaigious positive personality, the Cavs brought him back for the 2009-10 season.

Jackson has played in nearly half of the Cavs’ games through the first half of the season but his minutes-per-game average is down under five. That could create a problem for Jackson’s future with the team, as the Cavs are that NBA rarity in that they have four players with non-guaranteed contracts on their roster.

That number is critical because Sunday is the NBA’s contract-guarantee date. All non-guaranteed contracts that remain in place after Sunday become guaranteed for the rest of the season. That puts the Cavs and a few other teams in the position of having to make tough decisions on players they might otherwise like.

Joining Jackson as non-guranteed contract players on Cleveland’s 15-man roster are: former North Carolina forwards Jawad Williams (2nd season) and Danny Green (rookie) and former Boise State guard Coby Karl (2nd season), the son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl.

Of the four, Jackson has played by far the most minutes. In fact, his 72 minutes of court time this season double the minutes played by the other three. Still, when it comes to the phrase “non-guaranteed,” Jackson can’t take anything for granted.

It’s too bad, too. If this were high school, Jackson would be a no-brainer for the coach to keep. If this were college, Jackson would have a scholarship or, at worst, a guaranteed spot as a walk-on. At that level, a coach’s opinion of a fringe player can mean the difference between suiting up and getting cut. Unfortunately, though, this is the NBA. Pro basketball. One of the world’s biggest businesses. And there’s no place for feelings there.

While it’s likely that the Cavs will look to dump one or two of these guys, they probably won’t get rid of them all.

There are a couple of ways they could get rid of them. The first would be by releasing them outright. But that might not make much sense in terms of depth and bodies for their scout team. The next method of disposing of them would be by trading them as a throw-in in a bigger deal. If they go that way, it’s very probable that the guy (or guys) that they “throw in” would be cut by their new teams immediately.

At this time of the season, Ferry, as well as the rest of the league’s GM’s, are looking for ways to improve their rosters and save money at the same time.

Although Jackson will probably be sweating through Sunday, look for him to stick with the Cavs and play out the rest of his contract. After that, it’s anybody’s guess.