"Dame making 62 million … Melo gonna sign for 500 million" - Paul Pierce believes future NBA stars will sign enormous contracts with their teams, says players are leveraging max contracts for trade value

​

Pierce’s highest contract year was during the 2009-10 season with the Boston Celtics when he made $19.7 million. Adjusted for inflation, that number would still only be $27.1 million today. Pierce’s total earnings in 19 years in the league was $200 million. Adjusted for inflation, that’d be $283 million.

Pierce on his part was loyal to the Celtics and played for them for 15 years. Hence, it comes as no surprise that he doesn't like player mobility in today's league. The whole idea behind max contracts is for teams to entice players and retain them for a longer period. But it is becoming increasingly common for players to demand trades amid huge contracts.

While player mobility has become very common, it isn't the norm yet. Players like Steph Curry, Lillard and Bradley Beal are very loyal to their team and fan base. They still play for the teams that drafted them, and are under big contracts. Curry will be the highest paid player for the upcoming season and will earn $48 million.

​