1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers — $25.0 million
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Shooting Guard
Contract: 2 years, $48.5 million
One thing to know: Kobe Bryant is still the highest-paid player in the NBA. However, this will be his last year as he has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
2. Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets — $24.9 million
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Position: Shooting Guard
Contract: 6 years, $123.7 million
One thing to know: Johnson has made $173.8 million in his career, making him one of the 25 highest-paid NBA players of all time.
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers — $23.0 million
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 1 year, $23.0 million (with a 2016-17 player option)
One thing to know: LeBron keeps signing one-year contracts in order to take advantage of the upcoming surge in the salary cap, and it's going to make him millions.
4. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks — $22.9 million
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 5 years, $124.1 million
One thing to know: Anthony re-signed with the Knicks prior to last season. Originally it looked like a mistake for the team, as they have been unable to sign big-name free agents and now have an aging veteran with a squad that is in rebuilding mode. But the ahead-of-schedule emergence of Kristaps Porzingis means the Knicks may make it back to the playoffs sooner than expected.
5. Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets — $22.4 million
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Center
Contract: 4 years, $87.6 million
One thing to know: Dwight Howard can opt out of his contract after this season and enter free agency for what is likely his last big pay day at 30.
6. Chris Bosh, Miami Heat — $22.2 million
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Center
Contract: 5 years, $118.7 million
One thing to know: Bosh surprised many when he re-signed with the Heat prior to last season, but after picking up the steal of the NBA Draft, it looks like Miami is going to be good again sooner than expected.
7. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers — $21.5 million
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: Point Guard
Contract: 5 years, $107.3 million
One thing to know: Chris Paul has two years left on his contract and a third year he can opt out of. This year could be Paul's best shot at a championship, especially after the Clippers fixed their biggest weakness, but can the Clippers get past the Warriors in the West?
8. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder — $20.2 million
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 5 years, $89.2 million
One thing to know: With Durant set to hit free agency next summer, speculation is running wild about where he will end up. In the meantime, the Thunder finally opened the vault to show that they are willing to spend, going well over the salary cap to re-sign center Enes Kanter.
9. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls — $20.1 million
Team: Chicago Bulls
Position: Point Guard
Contract: 5 years, $94.3 million
One thing to know: Rose has two years left on his contract and, if he can show he can stay relatively healthy, somebody will throw a lot of money at him in 2017.
10t. LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs — $19.7 million
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Power Forward
Contract: 4 years, $84.1 million
One thing to know: The Spurs signed the most coveted free agent of the summer, but coach Gregg Popovich had to promise that he will coach for at least four more years.
10t. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies — $19.7 million
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Position: Center
Contract: 5 years, $113.2 million
One thing to know: Marc Gasol was another one of the top free agents this summer, but in the end, he accepted a max-level contract to stay with the Grizzlies.
12. Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks — $18.7 million
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Position: Power Forward
Contract: 3 years, $60.2 million
One thing to know: A two-time All-Star, Millsap was one of the bigger bargains in the NBA each of the last two seasons, when his salary was $9.5 million each year. That came to an end this summer when he re-signed with the Hawks as a free agent.
13. Paul George, Indiana Pacers — $17.1 million
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 5 years, $91.6 million
One thing to know: With three years left on his contract, George's contract seemed like it could become a problem as the Pacers experimented with a smaller lineup. Yet, despite not being happy about playing a new position at time, George appears to be as dominant as ever and fully recovered from his broken leg.
14t. Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks — $16.4 million
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Shooting Guard
Contract: 4 years, $70.1 million
One thing to know: Matthews may have been the biggest winner in the DeAndre Jordan fiasco, with the Mavs throwing $70 million at him, thinking that he would be paired with a powerful inside force. Now he has a huge contract and will be leaned on even more to carry the team.
14t. Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks — $16.4 million
Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Position: Center
Contract: 3 years, $51.4 million
One thing to know: Landing coveted big-man Monroe was a big reason the Bucks were one of this off-season's biggest winners, although they have struggled early on.
16. Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic — $16.0 million
Team: Orlando Magic
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 4 years, $64 million
One thing to know: After making just $6.8 million in his first four NBA seasons, Harris will make that in the Magic's first 35 games this season.
17t. John Wall, Washington Wizards — $15.9 million
Position: Point Guard
Contract: 5 years, $84.8 million
One thing to know: Wall signed a max-level contract in 2013. Two years later he is a bargain and is not happy about it: "People talk about me getting $80 million, now you got people getting $85 million that haven't made the All-Star (Game) or anything like that. I guess they came in at the right time. That new CBA kicked in and they're good now. Reggie Jackson gets five years, $80 million. I'm getting the same as Reggie Jackson."
17t. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings — $15.9 million
Position: Center
Contract: 4 years, $65.6 million
One thing to know: Cousins is in the second year of his contract, but it is unclear if he will stay with the Kings to see the end of it. Trouble with coach George Karl and an underperforming team has led to speculation that Cousins will be traded.
19. Eric Gordon, New Orleans Hornets — $15.5 million
Position: Shooting Guard
Contract: 4 years, $58.4 million
One thing to know: Gordon will be a free agent after the season and the type of contract he will receive will be a good indicator of just how crazy this off-season will be with the rising salary cap.
20. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors — $15.5 million
Position: Shooting Guard
Contract: 4 years, $69.0 million
One thing to know: Stephen Curry is just the fifth-highest-paid player on the Warriors, with what is the biggest bargain contract in the NBA.
21. David Lee, Boston Celtics — $15.5 million
Position: Power Forward
Contract: 6 years, $79.5 million
One thing to know: Last season, the Warriors essentially paid Lee $15 million to sit on the bench, having his role replaced by Draymond Green. That made Lee expendable and he was traded to the Celtics in the off-season. He will be a free agent after the year.
22. Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz — $15.4 million
Position: Shooting Guard
Contract: 4 years, $63.0 million
One thing to know: Hayward was given a max-level contract prior to the 2014-15 season and raised some eyebrows when he said there was nothing to live up to now: "I don't think I have to live up to anything now," he said. "They paid me what they wanted to pay me, and let's go from there ... No pressure now. The pressure is trying to win. That's the pressure."
23. Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets — $14.0 million
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 2 years, $29.5 million
One thing to know: The Nuggets gave Gallinari a 2-year extension that also has an option year. Gallinari would have been a free agent after the season without the deal.
24. Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons — $13.9 million
Position: Point Guard
Contract: 5 years, $80 million
One thing to know: Jackson is in the first year of his $80 million deal and is the only player on the Pistons making more than $8.5 million this season.
25. DeMarre Carroll, Toronto Raptors — $13.6 million
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 4 years, $58 million
One thing to know: After bouncing around the NBA with four teams in his first four seasons, Carroll's stock took off when joined the Atlanta Hawks in 2013, and went even higher thanks to a solid playoff run this past season. He turned that success into a big free agent deal with the Raptors.
26t. Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets — $13.5 million
Position: Center
Contract: 3 years, $40.5 million
One thing to know: Jefferson is in the final year of his contract, but most of his key stats are at their lowest point since his first two years in the league with the Boston Celtics.
26t. Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns — $13.5 million
Position: Point Guard/Point Guard
Contract: Both playes have 5-year, $70 million contracts.
One thing to know: Despite just giving fellow point guard Bledsoe a $70 million contract, the Suns then traded for Knight and then gave him an identical deal. Some thought this meant Bledsoe would be traded, but that never happened and now both players are averaging more than 20 points and 5 rebounds per game.
28. Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves — $12.4 million
Position: Point Guard
Contract: 4 years, $55.0 million
One thing to know: After signing his extension, Rubio's comments were the opposite of those made by Gordon Hayward: "You're getting paid more, you have to earn it. You have to show why you're getting paid this money. Of course there's going to be extra pressure. I wanted to be more of a leader and take this team to another level."
29. Al-Farouq Aminu, Portland Trail Blazers — $8.0 million
Position: Small Forward
Contract: 4 years, $30.0 million
One thing to know: The Trail Blazers are Aminu's fourth team in six seasons.
30. Carl Landry, Philadelphia 76ers — $6.5 million
Position: Power Forward
Contract: 4 years, $26.0 million
One thing to know: Landry has yet to play a game with the 76ers after being acquired in an off-season trade. He had surgery on his wrist and is currently rehabbing in the D-League.
