NBA 2017-18: Stephen Curry and LeBron James lead highest paid players list
Also read: 10 Highest Paid Players by Endorsements in 2018
Early in 2016, the NBA extended their television deals with ESPN and TNT for another nine years. The new deal officially began with the 2016-17 season and is set to carry on till the end of the 2024-25 season. According to reports from the New York Times, the deal was expected to be around 2.6 billion dollars a year.
The revenue the league received through this deal was bound to have an impact on the team's salary caps and subsequently the player's salaries. While many players did receive a huge paycheque last summer, plenty of superstars only received their worth this past offseason due to contractual bounds.
Circumstances have led to some surprising names on this list. So with the media day wrapped up and training camps have begun across the league, let's take a look at the 10 highest paid players this season.
(Salary figures via spotrac.com)
#10 Al Horford - Boston Celtics
Contract Details: 4-years and $113 million
Salary in 2017-18: $27,734,405
Al Horford signed on with the Boston Celtics last year as a free agent (FA). He was the first superstar or mid-level superstar FA to have chose Boston after multiple years of the franchise not being a lucrative landing spot for free agent players.
His arrival accelerated the team's steady rebuild and a year later the Celtics' have formed their own Big 3 alongside him by trading for Kyrie Irving and signing Gordon Hayward as a free agent.
Horford earns quite a bit for a nine-year veteran, who only averaged 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds prior to joining the Celtics. However, he contributes more than just numbers and his decision to sign with the franchise also changed the way many other players looked at the organization.