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List of highest-paid NBA players by season

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The highest-paid NBA players by season over the past twelve seasons have received contracts with salaries noted in the twenty-million-dollar range. In this twelve-year span, Kevin Garnett received $28,000,000, which was the highest salary payment of any NBA player, during the 2003–2004 season. Garnett has been the highest-paid NBA player per year in seven of the past twelve NBA seasons. Michael Jordan was the first NBA player to sign a contract worth over thirty million dollars in a season. During the 1997–1998 season, Jordan earned $33,000,000. Kobe Bryant become just the second player to reach this milestone when the 2013-2014 season began.[1] LeBron James became the third in 2016-17.

Beginning in the 1984–85 NBA season, the NBA's first salary cap was introduced. The NBA salary cap is the maximum dollar amount each NBA team can spend on its players for the season. However, the NBA uses a "soft" salary cap, which means that significant "salary exceptions" allow NBA teams to exceed their allotted amount in order to sign players. The salary cap is determined during the offseason, but as stated earlier, it is liable to change.[2]

Michael Jordan, who earned $33,000,000 in the 1997–98 NBA season, attempts a slam dunk at the old Boston Garden.

An exception is necessary to sign a player for a contract that would exceed the salary cap threshold of the "soft cap". The Larry Bird exception, more commonly known as Bird Rights, allows teams to re-sign a current player only if he has played for that particular team for a minimum of three years.[3] Another exception known as the mid-level exception allows for teams that are over the salary cap to sign one or more players as long as they do not exceed the total amount of the average NBA salary.[4] Next, the bi-annual exception can be used by teams every other year to sign a free agent(s) for up to two years at an amount set by the NBA.[5] Finally, the rookie player exception allows any NBA team to sign their first-round draft pick to a contract based upon a scale previously set forth by the NBA. Another option for teams would be to assign players to a league-assigned minimum salary contract for a maximum of two years.

According to the game performance during the 2010–11 NBA season, the league's best players were not its highest-paid players. Each year there are ten players selected to one of the two All-NBA Teams. Out of those ten players chosen that year, Kobe Bryant was the only player that was also among the game's ten highest-paid during the 2010–11 NBA season.[6]

Highest-paid NBA players by season

2010–2011

During the 2010–11 NBA season, Kobe Bryant was the highest-paid player in the league. Bryant's net worth was valued at over $140 million as of 2009.[13] Bryant, who has spent his entire 18-year career in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, is under contract with the team until the 2015–2016 NBA season.[14]
Player [15] Salary Team
Kobe Bryant $24,806,250 Los Angeles Lakers
Rashard Lewis $19,573,711 Washington Wizards
Tim Duncan $18,835,381 San Antonio Spurs
Kevin Garnett $18,832,044 Boston Celtics
Michael Redd $18,300,000 Milwaukee Bucks
Andrei Kirilenko $17,823,000 Utah Jazz
Pau Gasol $17,823,000 Los Angeles Lakers
Gilbert Arenas $17,730,694 Washington Wizards
Yao Ming $17,686,100 Houston Rockets
Zach Randolph $17,666,666 Memphis Grizzlies

2009–2010

Player [16] Salary Team
Kobe Bryant $23,034,375 Los Angeles Lakers
Jermaine O'Neal $23,016,000 Miami Heat
Tracy McGrady $22,843,124 New York Knicks
Tim Duncan $22,183,220 San Antonio Spurs
Shaquille O'Neal $21,000,000 Cleveland Cavaliers
Dirk Nowitzki $19,795,714 Dallas Mavericks
Paul Pierce $19,795,712 Boston Celtics
Ray Allen $18,776,860 Boston Celtics
Rashard Lewis $18,010,791 Orlando Magic
Michael Redd $17,040,000 Milwaukee Bucks

2008–2009

Kevin Garnett was the highest-paid player during the 2008–09, 2007–08, and 2006–07 seasons; he relinquished that position to Shaquille O'Neal for two seasons, but was also the highest-paid player during the 2003–04, 2002–03, 2001–02, and 2000–01 seasons.
Player [17] Salary Team
Kevin Garnett $24,751,934 Boston Celtics
Jason Kidd $21,372,000 Dallas Mavericks
Jermaine O'Neal $21,372,000 Toronto Raptors
Kobe Bryant $21,262,500 Los Angeles Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal $21,000,000 Phoenix Suns
Allen Iverson $20,840,625 Detroit Pistons
Stephon Marbury $20,840,625 Boston Celtics
Tim Duncan $20,598,704 San Antonio Spurs
Tracy McGrady $20,370,437 Houston Rockets
Ray Allen $18,388,430 Boston Celtics

2007–2008

Player [19] Salary Team
Kevin Garnett $23,751,934 Boston Celtics
Shaquille O'Neal $21,000,000 Phoenix Suns
Jason Kidd $19,728,000 New Jersey Nets
Jermaine O'Neal $19,728,000 Indiana Pacers
Kobe Bryant $19,490,625 Los Angeles Lakers
Tim Duncan $19,014,188 San Antonio Spurs
Allen Iverson $19,012,500 Denver Nuggets
Stephon Marbury $19,012,500 New York Knicks
Tracy McGrady $18,257,750 Houston Rockets
Baron Davis $16,440,000 Golden State Warriors

1998–1999

Player[28] Salary Team
Patrick Ewing $18,500,000 New York Knicks
Shaquille O'Neal $17,000,000 Los Angeles Lakers
David Robinson $14,841,000 San Antonio Spurs
Kevin Garnett $14,000,000 Minnesota Timberwolves
Alonzo Mourning $13,130,000 Miami Heat
Juwan Howard $13,125,000 Washington Wizards
Hakeem Olajuwon $12,943,000 Houston Rockets
Dikembe Mutombo $11,218,000 Atlanta Hawks
Jayson Williams $11,000,000 New Jersey Nets
Scottie Pippen $11,000,000 Houston Rockets

References

  1. ^ "Kobe Bryant to Become NBA's Second Ever $30-Million Player". aolnews.com.
  2. ^ "NBA Salary Cap History". insidehoops.com.
  3. ^ "NBA Salary Cap Explained". about.com.
  4. ^ "Mid Level Exception". sportscity.com.
  5. ^ "Bi-annual Exception". sportscity.com.
  6. ^ Badenhausen, Kurt (2010-11-04). "The NBA's Highest-Paid Players". Forbes.
  7. ^ "NBA Player Salaries". Hoopshype. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
  8. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2015-2016". ESPN. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  9. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2014-2015". ESPN. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
  10. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2013-2014". ESPN. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  11. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2012-2013". ESPN. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  12. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2011-2012". ESPN. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  13. ^ "NBA Cap Projection". therichest.org.
  14. ^ "Lakers sign Kobe Bryant to two-year contract extension". Si.com. Si.com.
  15. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2010-2011". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  16. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2009-2010". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  17. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2008-2009". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  18. ^ a b "NBA Salaries". Insidehoops.com. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  19. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2007-2008". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  20. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2006-2007". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  21. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2005-2006". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  22. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2004-2005". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  23. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2003-2004". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  24. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2002-2003". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  25. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2001-2002". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  26. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 2000-2001". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  27. ^ "NBA Player Salaries - 1999-2000". ESPN (go.com). Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  28. ^ . Sports Reference LLC http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1999.html. Retrieved 2016-08-20. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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