Average player salaries

[Reality]

1985 325K (Adjusted for inflation 414K)
1997 2.1 million
2004-5 3.8
2005-6 5.0 mil  thanks ziq mid level exp based on ave salary.

Top 30 paid NBA players, (This will change with todays CBA signings, but as of presstime) only 13 were All Stars last year.  Sorry, don't have list of all 30 but some notables are

Deke Mutombo 18.7 Mil
Allan Houston 17.5
Webber 17.5
Anfernee Hardaway 15
Van Horn 14.4
Latrell Sprewell 14.4
Brian Grant $13.2
Eric Dampier 10.2
Adonal Foyle 10.2

The reality of the NBA is that you only have to have one good season, or several average years, to demand huge money. Just look at Eric Dampier or Adonal Foyle,
who for some reason will be making $51 million over the next five seasons.  It must have been his 4.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG career averages that the Warriors were afraid to let go of.

Babe Ruth made his highly publicized $80,000 a year in the late 1920s, an astounding salary at that time. However, even accounting for inflation, Ruth's salary today would hardly place him near the top of the baseball payroll.

Combo of a couple articles but here is one
http://www.docsports.com/nba-salaries.html

Who was not in the top 30?: (again will change with todays signings and also a few have since these stats compiled in April 2005, still when compared to above players..)
Lebron James
Dwayne Wade
Jermaine O'Neal
Ben Wallace
Gilbert Arenas
Yao Ming
Ginobili
Amare Stoudemire
Nash,
Marion  
Rashard Lewis.

[westkoast]

"Just look at Eric Dampier or Adonal Foyle,
who for some reason will be making $51 million over the next five seasons. It must have been his 4.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG career averages that the Warriors were afraid to let go of."

 :rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:  :hail:  

[Guest_Randy]

Forget about inflation -- it's all about economics rather than inflation.  Go back and check out ticket prices, sportswear, etc. -- those have risen much higher than regular inflation.

Top 30 paid NBA players, (This will change with todays CBA signings, but as of presstime) only 13 were All Stars last year. Sorry, don't have list of all 30 but some notables are

Deke Mutombo 18.7 Mil
Allan Houston 17.5
Webber 17.5
Anfernee Hardaway 15
Van Horn 14.4
Latrell Sprewell 14.4
Brian Grant $13.2
Eric Dampier 10.2
Adonal Foyle 10.2

Well, look at a couple of these players:  Mutombo, Webber and Hardaway WERE worth the money at one time.  However, these contracts were pre-cap salaries which was one of the main reasons they instituted the cap and the luxury tax was to rein in salaries (which were spinning out of control because owners allowed them too).  Everyone else on that list were simply paid WAYYY too much for their services (but again, most were pre-cap salaries).

Who was not in the top 30?: (again will change with todays signings and also a few have since these stats compiled in April 2005, still when compared to above players..)
Lebron James
Dwayne Wade
Jermaine O'Neal
Ben Wallace
Gilbert Arenas
Yao Ming
Ginobili
Amare Stoudemire
Nash,
Marion
Rashard Lewis.

Okay, to be a Max contract player, IMO, you have to be a player an organization would build a team around.  How many of these players do you list that you are going to build a team around?
LeBron James -- Absolutely -- and this kid WILL be a MAX player when it is allowed (he hasn't been in the league long enough).
Dwayne Wade -- Absolutely -- he has already proven this WITHOUT Shaq on several occassions .
Jermaine O'Neal -- Absolutely -- you are going to build a team around him but is he a superstar?  Can he strap a team on his back?  I'm not sure that he doesn't fit more into the Gasol status only he has better teammates surrounding him (as well as a much better coach).
Gilbert Arenas -- Nope -- a very good piece but not someone you build around.
Yao Ming -- Well, teams will build around this guy but I think it's a mistake!!!
Ginobiliy -- Nope -- he is a very good piece but not someone you build around.
Amare Stoudamire -- Absolutely -- you are definately going to build a team around him but don't forget, this guy needs a good PG.
Nash -- Nope -- A very good piece but not someone to build aorund.
Marion -- Nope -- not going to build around him -- just a very good piece.
Lewis -- Nope -- He's already proven that he can't be "the man" -- but he is a very good piece (wish he would play defense more).

IMO, unless a guy is a piece to build around, they don't deserve to be paid Max money -- I think everyone on this list is making about what they should (a few are a little overpaid) with the exception of those who haven't been in the league long enough to even GET the Max (they shouldn't even be considered in this list to begin with because they aren't eligible yet).  Those guys (LeBron, Wade and Ming) WILL get their huge contracts and become top paid players in the league in the future (and with the exception of Ming, they will deserve it) but the other players you mentioned aren't underpaid, IMO, they are right where they should be.

[JoMal]

IMO, unless a guy is a piece to build around, they don't deserve to be paid Max money -- I think everyone on this list is making about what they should (a few are a little overpaid) with the exception of those who haven't been in the league long enough to even GET the Max (they shouldn't even be considered in this list to begin with because they aren't eligible yet).  Those guys (LeBron, Wade and Ming) WILL get their huge contracts and become top paid players in the league in the future (and with the exception of Ming, they will deserve it) but the other players you mentioned aren't underpaid, IMO, they are right where they should be.

Randy, that would be an excellent foundation to consider before discussing salary expectations of players, and before you give that max contract to just anybody.

But it is that long term contract status that bothers me as well. On that top list Reality posted, there are players who clearly fit the mold of talent you want to build your team around, but in most cases injury deprived these players of finishing their contracts out in the same position.

Then, they turn into players that end up hurting their respective teams because they eat up too much of the salary cap with minimal return on the investment.

And to hell with that inflation argument. Last time I looked, inflation wasn't running at 200% every year away from the basketball court.  

[Guest_Randy]

JoMal,

I agree -- I don't like the long-term max contracts (and Stern IS obviously smart enough to recognize that this is a problem, even if he can't fix it as much as he would like to).  Long-term contracts almost ALWAYS ending up biting in the butt -- I can think of VERY few that haven't.  However, most of these contracts were pre-cap issues -- more recent CBA guildelines will prohibit that (and that's a very good thing, IMO).

And I agree, inflation has zero to do with sports today.  It has EVERYTHING to do with supply and demand -- and when we stop paying $100-$150 for a pair of shoes, $40+ for a jersey and a ton of money on tickets -- THAT'S when the cost of sports will drop and not until that time!  

For Jerry Buss, for instance, owning the Lakers is a CASH COW!!!  There hasn't been a year since Magic played that Buss hasn't realized millions of dollars in profit.  Of course, Buss' pockets aren't as deep as Cubans, Allen's Maloof's (also Knicks and Sixers -- I think companies own them, correct?), nobody back in Ruth's day made the equivalent to millions of dollars on their team each year!

[ziggy]

1985 325K (Adjusted for inflation 414K)
1997 2.1 million
2005 ?
 

The mid-level exemption is based upon the average salary.  So the average salary this year will be $5 million.

[Reality]

2004-5 average 3.8 mil.

Sadly how many of the list that were not in the top 30, "deserved" to be ie Lebron, Wade J Oneal, etc...how many of them will end up being injured in a couple years?
My bolded means total drain on team, but I stopped, there are too many that can be labled that.

Players earning $7 million or more
 1. Shaquille O'Neal (Mia) ..... $27,696,430
 2. Allan Houston (NY) ......... $17,531,250
 2. Chris Webber (Sac) ......... $17,531,250
 4. Kevin Garnett (Min) ........ $16,000,000
 5. Dikembe Mutombo (NJ) ....... $14,989,285  18 combined with Hou
 6. Jason Kidd (NJ) ............ $14,796,000
 6. Jermaine O'Neal (Ind) ...... $14,796,000
 8. Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Por) .. $14,625,000
 8. Ray Allen (Sea) ............ $14,625,000
 8. Anfernee Hardaway (NY) ..... $14,625,000
 8. Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cle) ... $14,625,000
 8. Allen Iverson (Phi) ........ $14,625,000
 8. Stephon Marbury (NY) ....... $14,625,000
 8. Latrell Sprewell (Min) ..... $14,625,000
 8. Antoine Walker (Atl) ....... $14,625,000
16. Michael Finley (Dal) ....... $14,609,375
17. Grant Hill (Orl) ........... $14,487,000
17. Tracy McGrady (Hou) ........ $14,487,000
17. Jalen Rose (Tor) ........... $14,487,000
17. Keith Van Horn (Mil) ....... $14,487,000
21. Tim Duncan (SA) ............ $14,260,641
22. Kobe Bryant (LAL) .......... $14,175,000
23. Eddie Jones (Mia) .......... $13,455,000
24. Brian Grant (LAL) .......... $13,233,434
25. Antonio Davis (Chi) ........ $12,925,000
26. Tim Thomas (NY) ............ $12,900,000
27. Vince Carter (NJ) .......... $12,584,688
27. Antawn Jamison (Was) ....... $12,584,688
27. Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) ........ $12,584,688
27. Paul Pierce (Bos) .......... $12,584,688
31. Damon Stoudamire (Por) ..... $12,500,000
32. Baron Davis (NO) ........... $12,330,000
32. Steve Francis (Orl) ........ $12,330,000
32. Shawn Marion (Pho) ......... $12,330,000
35. Glenn Robinson (Phi) ....... $12,071,250
36. Elton Brand (LAC) .......... $12,056,000
37. Nick Van Exel (Por) ........ $11,933,252
38. Carlos Boozer (Uta) ........ $10,967,500
39. Theo Ratliff (Por) ......... $10,937,500
40. Lamar Odom (LAL) ........... $10,548,596
41. Mike Bibby (Sac) ........... $10,500,000
42. Dale Davis (GS) ............ $10,068,750
43. Rasheed Wallace (Det) ......  $9,720,000
44. Raef LaFrentz (Bos) ........  $9,714,538
45. Kerry Kittles (LAC) ........  $9,566,667
46. Kenyon Martin (Den) ........  $9,454,546
47. Gilbert Arenas (Was) .......  $9,389,600
48. Jamal Mashburn (NO) ........  $9,300,000
49. Wally Szczerbiak (Min) .....  $9,000,000
50. Steve Nash (Pho) ...........  $8,750,000
51. Jamaal Magloire (NO) .......  $8,533,333
52. Marcus Camby (Den) .........  $8,500,000
53. Maurice Taylor (Hou) .......  $8,450,000
54. Derek Anderson (Por) .......  $8,443,500
55. Alan Henderson (Dal) .......  $8,273,125
56. Austin Croshere (Ind) ......  $8,260,000
57. P.J. Brown (NO) ............  $8,000,000
58. Kelvin Cato (Orl) ..........  $7,992,000
59. Brad Miller (Sac) ..........  $7,875,000
60. Richard Hamilton (Det) .....  $7,812,500
61. Rashard Lewis (Sea) ........  $7,792,208
62. Erick Dampier (Dal) ........  $7,700,000
62. Bonzi Wells (Mem) ..........  $7,700,000
64. Doug Christie (Sac) ........  $7,550,000
65. Mehmet Okur (Uta) ..........  $7,500,000
65. Jason Terry (Dal) ..........  $7,500,000
67. Andre Miller (Den) .........  $7,366,667
68. Shandon Anderson (NY) ......  $7,300,000  [released 11/10]
69. Lorenzen Wright (Mem) ......  $7,150,000
70. Corey Maggette (LAC) .......  $7,000,000
70. Ben Wallace (Det) ..........  $7,000,000