NBA stars who were never among the highest paid
With how high NBA player salaries have been going for the past couple of seasons, we thought it would be compelling to look at the high-level players in the past who were never in the upper echelon of salaries. Specifically, we are taking a look at the best players – the NBA stars – who were never in the Top 20 in player salaries in any given season.
Sometimes, these players were unselfish and sacrificed taking a lower salary to play for a winning franchise, and other times, these players were simply unlucky.
Here is a list that includes 24 players over the decades, including a league MVP in Steve Nash and Finals MVPs such as Tony Parker and Chauncey Billups.
Chauncey Billups
Highest rank: No. 28 in 2011-12
Salary that season: $14,200,000
Rolando Blackman
Highest rank: No. 41 in 1990-91
Salary that season: $1,650,000
Sam Cassell
Highest rank: No. 86 in 2004-05
Salary that season: $6,250,000
Tyson Chandler
Highest rank: No. 32 in 2013-14
Salary that season: $14,100,538
DeMarcus Cousins
Highest rank: No. 34 in 2014-15
Salary that season: $13,701,250
Luol Deng
Highest rank: No. 28 in 2013-14
Salary that season: $14,312,125
Manu Ginobili
Highest rank: No. 27 in 2012-13
Salary that season: $14,107,492
Draymond Green
Highest rank: No. 38 in 2015-16
Salary that season: $14,260,870
Mark Jackson
Highest rank: No. 32 in 1990-91
Salary that season: $1,785,000
Al Jefferson
Highest rank: No. 23 in 2012-13
Salary that season: $15,000,000
Fat Lever
Highest rank: No. 51 in 1990-91
Salary that season: $1,519,000
Jamal Mashburn
Highest rank: No. 46 in 2005-06
Salary that season: $10,075,000
Steve Nash
Highest rank: No. 33 in 2009-10
Salary that season: $13,125,000
Joakim Noah
Highest rank: No. 41 in 2016-17
Salary that season: $17,000,000
Victor Oladipo
Highest rank: No. 38 in 2017-18
Salary that season: $21,000,000
Tony Parker
Highest rank: No. 31 in 2010-11
Salary that season: $13,500,000
Drazen Petrovic
Highest rank: No. 78 in 1990-91
Salary that season: $1,200,000
Mark Price
Highest rank: No. 32 in 1993-94
Salary that season: $2,850,000
Glen Rice
Highest rank: No. 42 in 1997-98
Salary that season: $4,702,000
Glenn Robinson
Highest rank: No. 26 in 1997-98
Salary that season: $5,510,000
Rajon Rondo
Highest rank: No. 41 in 2014-15
Salary that season: $12,909,090
Jerry Stackhouse
Highest rank: No. 54 in 2006-07
Salary that season: $9,296,874
Isaiah Thomas
Highest rank: No. 103 in 2014-15
Salary that season: $7,238,606
Metta World Peace
Highest rank: No. 65 in 2013-14
Salary that season: $9,317,280
