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NBA personalities are known to efficiently utilize their offseasons to stack up greens via endorsements, investments and explore a plethora of avenues before the grueling regular season kicks off. Tracing the learning curve in the league, players often emerge as promising franchise cornerstones, which eventually results in their organization rewarding them with max contracts of loyalty.
The 2018-19 season saw many prominent names turn into megastars through their diligence and accomplishments on the court. However, more often than not, the contract structure in the NBA makes sure the player's rise to glory is not proportionally matched by their salaries, thereby leading to an inevitable mismatch.
Now that the 2019-20 season lies just around the corner, it makes perfect sense to quantify the monetary aspect of the stardom written all over the previous season.
#5 Giannis Antetokounmpo - $25,842,697
Just over the last few seasons, the Greek Freak's insane work ethic has bagged him three straight All-Star nods, a Most Improved Player award, couple of All-NBA selections and finally, the Most Valuable Player award just recently. Now that Antetokounmpo has officially catapulted himself into superstardom, it would surprise many to know that he got paid $24,157,303 for his MVP year and is slated to make another $25,842,697 during the upcoming season.
In fact, the four-year, $100 million extension that he signed in September of 2016 runs through the 2020-21 campaign, stating his 2020-21 season salary to be $27.5 million - still under a lucrative $30 million check - before he qualifies for a supermax contract in July of 2021.
Giannis' NBA salary took a huge leap forward in 2016, but apparently, it still couldn't trace his exponential surge to greatness in a relatively short period of time.
#4 Nikola Jokic - $26,573,595
From a rookie contract pay of under $1.5 million in 2017-18, straight up to $24.6 million last year on the first season of the maximum five-year, $148 million contract extension, the Joker has come a long way.
Despite his rising curve, he is slated to make a paycheck in upwards of $30 million only in the 2021-21 season. For bragging rights, he will be bagging another $28,542,009 during the upcoming season. His importance to the Denver Nuggets franchise is something that needs to elaborate explanation, averaging career-highs of 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists during his 2018-19 campaign.
Playing on the 21st most valuable team in the NBA, the Serbian has officially made the big bucks for himself in the long run, on the heels of a breakout season where he garnered his first All-Star selection and an All-NBA First Team nod.
#3 Anthony Davis - $27,093,019
The generational talent finds himself in a new setting alongside The King, ready to take a legit shot at a championship for the first time in his career. At just 26 years of age, AD already has six All-Star appearances and three All-NBA First Team nods, making him all the more worthy of a lucrative NBA contract.
However, Davis signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension with the Pelicans in July of 2015, which will amount to a little over $27 million for the upcoming season in LA. The trade with the the Lakers became official on July 6, 2019.
He also has a player option worth $28,751,775 in the following season if he decides to extend his stay at the Lakers franchise. AD is eligible to become a free agent in the offseason of 2020.
#2 Joel Embiid - $27,504,630
After signing a rookie scale contract with the Sixers in 2014, it was not until 2018 that Embiid started making the big bucks. The Cameroonian native signed a five-year, $148 million designated rookie scale maximum contract extension with the Sixers, which earned him precisely $25,467,250 this past season.
In the past three years, Embiid has made up for the time lost to injuries (missed first two NBA seasons and limited to just 31 during 2016-17). He averaged mind-boggling career-highs of 27.5 points and 13.5 rebounds over the 2018-19 season and is expected to make $29,542,010 during the 2020-21 campaign followed by $31,579,390 in 2021-22.
Nevertheless, the Sixers made sure Embiid could earn up to $178 million over the life of the deal if he reaches certain incentives such as All-NBA first, second or third teams, Defensive Player of the Year or league MVP, at the same time ensuring that the franchise will receive salary cap protection should Embiid miss significant time because of injury again.
#1 Damian Lillard - $29,802,321
Even though Portland's golden postseason run ended in a sweep by Golden State, their grit and resilience depicted they were much more than what transpired. Led by 4-time All-Star Damian Lillard, the Blazers had an outstanding campaign and would be looking to build on it during the upcoming season.
For all his highlight reels that included a plethora of iconic moments, Dame got paid $27,977,689 as part of the five-year, $120 million contract extension he signed with the Trail Blazers in July of 2015. For all he is worth, there remains another year of basketball before Lillard enters the $30 million-plus group.
His loyalty to Portland is inspiring and the realization that the franchise has shown back the same love amidst the chaotic business air prevalent in the NBA shows us that it is indeed more than just basketball and winning.
Guess the Lakers players!
