Fansided

30 richest players in the NBA

By John Buhler

Feb 15, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts to a play during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-104. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 15, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts to a play during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 113-104. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 7, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut (6) rebounds the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the 1 quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut (6) rebounds the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the 1 quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Andrew Bogut

Center, Dallas Mavericks

This list of highest-earning NBA players is definitely chock full of former No. 1 overall picks. One of the highest career earners in the NBA is the former No. 1 overall pick out of Utah in the 2005 NBA Draft in Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut. In 11 NBA seasons, Bogut has made $115,750,847.

Bogut came into the league as a franchise cornerstone with the Milwaukee Bucks. He signed a two-year, $9 million contract as a rookie. Milwaukee exercised its team option on Bogut for his third and fourth NBA seasons, costing the Bucks $4.99 and $6.3 million, respectively.

In July 2008, Bogut signed his rookie extension, inking a five-year, $60 million with the Bucks. Bogut was worth that bit of coin, that was until he mangled his hand on a transition dunk in 2010. He lost his ability to shoot at an NBA level and was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2012.

Re-inventing himself as a pass-first center and elite rim protector with the Warriors, Bogut signed a three-year extension worth $36 million. Before the final year of his Warriors contract, Golden State would trade Bogut to Dallas to help make room to sign Kevin Durant in 2016 free agency.

Bogut is 32-years old and may not be the player he once was, but he does have a role in this league into his mid-30s if he feels so inclined. Expect Bogut to get another multi-year deal in 2017 free agency, but not to the degree of what he made with the Bucks and Warriors.

Overall, Bogut has had staying power in the NBA despite a largely injury-riddled career. Even as a non-shooter, Bogut has proven to be a technically sound player that can contribute as a great glue guy in a championship team’s frontcourt. While we wonder what could have been with Bogut, he’s still been a highly productive player, though not fully worth the nine figures he has made as a professional.

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