No.10: Dwyane Wade, $20 million – The NBA has a culture of paying for past performance. Entering his 13th season, the 33-year-old Wade hasn't played in 70 regular season games since 2011. When healthy, however, he's still one of the best guards in the league, averaging 24.3 points, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 2015. He was signed to a one-year, $20 million deal by Miami in the off season.
No. 9: Derrick Rose, $20.1 million – Rose signed a $94 million extension with the Bulls halfway through his 2011 MVP campaign. Unfortunately, due to a variety of injuries, he's only played in 61 regular-season games in the three years since then. Because of situations like this, NBA owners will be pushing for non-guaranteed contracts in the next collective bargaining agreement, set to be in place by 2017.
No. 8 Kevin Durant, $20.2 million – Durant was an MVP two seasons ago, then promptly had foot surgery to rule him out of most of last season (sound familiar?). He's on the last year of his Oklahoma contract, so has plenty of incentive to impress on the court.
No. 7 Chris Paul, $21.5 million – The Clipper guy, Paul is the undisputed leader of the perennial playoff team. He has three more seasons under an escalating contract, with an option to terminate his 2018 salary of $24.3 million and test the open market at age 33.
No. 6 Chris Bosh, $22.2 million – The Miami Heat's starting center on the 2012 and 2013 NBA championship runs was diagnosed with career-threatening blood clots in his lungs that sat him out for the entire second half of last season. Thankfully, Bosh made a full recovery -- but had he been forced to retire, the Heat would have been on the hook for the remaining $98 million on his contract.
No. 5 Dwight Howard, $22.6 million – Once thought of as a franchise player, Howard sat out half of last season with knee problems, having previously had back surgery. Worrying trends for the Rockets, who are on the hook for $45.6 million if "Superman" decides to come back to Houston next season. Sadly, like DeAndre Jordan, his Kryptonite is free-throw shooting (career 57.3%).
No. 4: Carmelo Anthony, $22.9 million – 'Melo missed half of the 2014-15 campaign with left knee surgery, which gave him a front-row seat to watch the Knicks sink to their worst season in franchise history. Since signing with the Knicks in 2011 for three years and $65 million, the team has won one playoff series. Anthony recently re-signed for three years and a guaranteed $73 million, with a team option for a fourth year at $28 million.
No. 3: LeBron James, $22.98 million – It's tough to argue that anyone making $23 million is underpaid -- except when it comes to James. The self-anointed best basketball player in the world (agreed on by nearly everyone) was worth $162 million to the economy of Northeast Ohio when he returned from Miami last year, as forecast by LeRoy Brooks of John Carroll University. He is set to make another $24 million next season, his last under contract before the new collective bargaining agreement kicks in. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's negotiating skills will be put to the test in 2017.
No. 2: Joe Johnson $24.9 million – Johnson was thought as of as a potential NBA superstar when Atlanta signed him to a six-year, $123.7 million deal in 2010, coming off a 21.3-point, 4.9-assist, 4.6-rebound season. Unfortunately, that was his peak. At least Johnson has stayed healthy and productive for the Nets, who picked up his crippling contract in 2012, though last season's 14.4 points, 3.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds was nothing to write home about.
No. 1: Kobe Bryant, $25 million – The 17-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion is not only top of this list, but after this season (which he says will be his last) he will have accumulated the most salary money in NBA history at $303.24 million. Only Bryant and his rival/mentor Michael Jordan have ever notched paychecks of over $30 million in a season (Jordan received $33.14 million in 1998 and $30.14 million in 1997 -- but received only $90.24 million for his career).
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