t’s an understatement that some of the elite NBA stars take home some of the largest sums if money across any sport. However, it’s equally valid to say that those earning the mega bucks are saved for the franchise players. No doubt that even role players are bringing in tens of millions of dollars a season, but there are plenty of players that aren’t.
There are many players on NBA rosters with relatively modest annual contracts. You know when compared to the $48,070,014 salary that Steph Curry is making as the highest paid player this season. We looked over the salary data for NBA players this season and have identified the ten lowest-paid NBA players of the current 2022-23 season. Here’s the lowest paid NBA players of the 2022-23 NBA season.
A 25-year-old power forward, Malik Fitts entered the 2020 NBA Draft after playing with South Florida and Saint Mary’s. Despite ending undrafted, Fitts was later signed by the LA Clippers. 12 months later, the Utah Jazz would take Fitts under their wing, converting his contract to a two-way arrangement and allowing him to play for G League side Salt Lake City Stars. The Boston Celtics signed Fitts towards the back end of the 2021-22 season.
It’s that time of the season when fans and sportsbooks start to mull over the likely candidates to reach the NBA’s postseason schedule, and Jackson’s former team is front and center of most futures picks.
Most operators now consider NBA wagering as one of their mainstream products, alongside other major league sports such as the NFL and MLS, which explains the heightened betting interest in the NBA postseason. Currently, the Boston Celtics are heavily fancied to run away with the season and overcome the disappointment of losing in 2022’s NBA Finals. They sit atop the Eastern Conference after 54 games, with many tipping them to go all the way and win the NBA Championship in 2023.
The contenders then traded Fitts to the Indiana Pacers before the start of the 2022-23 season.
Nigerian power forward Chima Moneke spent some considerable time playing professional basketball in the French LNB Pro B. After spending the 2021-22 season with Spanish Liga Endesa and BCL side Manresa, Moneke tried his luck in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings recruited him, with Moneke teaming up with the head coach of his national team, Mike Brown. In January, Moneke signed for French LNB Pro B team AS Monaco, after being waived in the same month by the Kings, leaving him with a $500,000 paycheck.
NBA veteran D.J. Augustin has been involved in the big leagues since signing for the Charlotte Bobcats in 2008. The popular point guard may have most recently been playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he’s still being paid a modest $333,333 this season after being waived last season by the Houston Rockets.
Trevelin Queen’s route to the NBA was an unconventional one. After not receiving a single NCAAB offer, he eventually moved to New Mexico to play with the state’s Military Institute. He would then commit to New Mexico State, where he was named WAC Tournament MVP back in 2019. After entering himself into the 2020 NBA Draft, Queen was left undrafted, but the Houston Rockets came in to snap him up later that year. In summer 2022, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed a two-year contract for him worth $3.5 million.
Brazilian shooting guard Didi Louzada entered the world of NBA in April 2021 after agreeing a contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. A year later, Louzada was acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers on a $1.87 million contract, which is to be paid in annual instalments of $268,032 until the end of the 2027-28 season. Last summer, the Trail Blazers opted to waive Louzada, who promptly teamed up with NBA G League franchise, Cleveland Charge.
26-year-old D.J. Wilson is a 6ft 10” power forward that was recruited into the NBA by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2017 Draft. He landed a $12.1 million rookie contract, but eventually left for the Houston Rockets in 2021. Unfortunately, Houston decided not to hand Wilson a $6.9m qualifying offer, resulting in him becoming a free agent. Since then, he has bounced around between the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. He’s currently in his third spell with the Blue in 2022-23.
26-year-old Sam Merrill is a shooting guard for the Cleveland Charge in the NBA G League. However, he was signed by the Sacramento Kings in August 2022, before being waived to join the Charge. Merrill’s contract is up at the end of this season, so he’ll be keen to impress at Cleveland.
Merrill was a standout performer at NCAAB level for Utah State and was the New Orleans Pelicans’ final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, who promptly traded him in a deal for Grayson Allen in August 2021.
Troy Williams was a hot prospect in the NCAAB, making a name for himself at Indiana as a three-time All-Big Ten pick. Williams signed for the Memphis Grizzlies at the start of the 2016-17 season, after impressing in the Summer League for the Phoenix Suns.
By January 2017, the Grizzlies opted to waive Williams. He eventually signed with the Houston Rockets for 2018-19, securing a four-year contract worth $122,741 per season. He’s no longer on the Rockets’ roster and has recently been plying his trade in the Philippines’ PBA Governors’ Cup.
28-year-old point guard Demetrius Jackson was picked up by Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft. However, after only five appearances, he’s been farmed out elsewhere after failing to make the grade – Boston are a team with increasingly high standards and targets. Even though Jackson was last seen playing for basketball in Spain in 2021, he will still pick up $92,857 this year, followed by a further $92,857 in 2023-24, the final year of his Boston contract.
Charles Bassey has the unfortunate title of being the lowest-paid player in the 2022-23 NBA season. Signed to the 76ers as part of the 2021 NBA Draft, Bassey played 23 games for the 76ers last season, before being waived at the start of the 22-23 season. Bassey has since signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs, allowing him to gain experience playing for the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League too.
So the lowest paid player this season (as of this publication) is Bassey who earns less than $74,742 for his role as a two way player. This money may or may not include what he’s earning in the G-League, and to be clear the approximately $75,000 he’s earning at the bottom of this list represents just the Philadelphia 76ers portion of his salary.
If you feel bad for Bassey being the lowest paid player in the league, don’t! The 6-9 power forward just signed a 4 year, $10.2 million dollar deal on Valentines Day with the San Antonio Spurs. Of which includes a guaranteed $5.2M. See the tweet below.
The Lowest Paid NBA Players in the 2022-23 Season
There are many players on NBA rosters with relatively modest annual contracts. You know when compared to the $48,070,014 salary that Steph Curry is making as the highest paid player this season. We looked over the salary data for NBA players this season and have identified the ten lowest-paid NBA players of the current 2022-23 season. Here’s the lowest paid NBA players of the 2022-23 NBA season.
10. Malik Fitts, Boston Celtics ($555,217)
A 25-year-old power forward, Malik Fitts entered the 2020 NBA Draft after playing with South Florida and Saint Mary’s. Despite ending undrafted, Fitts was later signed by the LA Clippers. 12 months later, the Utah Jazz would take Fitts under their wing, converting his contract to a two-way arrangement and allowing him to play for G League side Salt Lake City Stars. The Boston Celtics signed Fitts towards the back end of the 2021-22 season.
It’s that time of the season when fans and sportsbooks start to mull over the likely candidates to reach the NBA’s postseason schedule, and Jackson’s former team is front and center of most futures picks.
Most operators now consider NBA wagering as one of their mainstream products, alongside other major league sports such as the NFL and MLS, which explains the heightened betting interest in the NBA postseason. Currently, the Boston Celtics are heavily fancied to run away with the season and overcome the disappointment of losing in 2022’s NBA Finals. They sit atop the Eastern Conference after 54 games, with many tipping them to go all the way and win the NBA Championship in 2023.
The contenders then traded Fitts to the Indiana Pacers before the start of the 2022-23 season.
9. Chima Moneke, Sacramento Kings ($500,000)
Nigerian power forward Chima Moneke spent some considerable time playing professional basketball in the French LNB Pro B. After spending the 2021-22 season with Spanish Liga Endesa and BCL side Manresa, Moneke tried his luck in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings recruited him, with Moneke teaming up with the head coach of his national team, Mike Brown. In January, Moneke signed for French LNB Pro B team AS Monaco, after being waived in the same month by the Kings, leaving him with a $500,000 paycheck.
8. D.J. Augustin, Houston Rockets ($333,333)
NBA veteran D.J. Augustin has been involved in the big leagues since signing for the Charlotte Bobcats in 2008. The popular point guard may have most recently been playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he’s still being paid a modest $333,333 this season after being waived last season by the Houston Rockets.
7. Trevelin Queen, Philadelphia 76ers ($330,000)
Trevelin Queen’s route to the NBA was an unconventional one. After not receiving a single NCAAB offer, he eventually moved to New Mexico to play with the state’s Military Institute. He would then commit to New Mexico State, where he was named WAC Tournament MVP back in 2019. After entering himself into the 2020 NBA Draft, Queen was left undrafted, but the Houston Rockets came in to snap him up later that year. In summer 2022, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed a two-year contract for him worth $3.5 million.
6. Didi Louzada, Portland Trail Blazers ($268,032)
Brazilian shooting guard Didi Louzada entered the world of NBA in April 2021 after agreeing a contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. A year later, Louzada was acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers on a $1.87 million contract, which is to be paid in annual instalments of $268,032 until the end of the 2027-28 season. Last summer, the Trail Blazers opted to waive Louzada, who promptly teamed up with NBA G League franchise, Cleveland Charge.
5. D.J. Wilson, Toronto Raptors ($250,000)
26-year-old D.J. Wilson is a 6ft 10” power forward that was recruited into the NBA by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2017 Draft. He landed a $12.1 million rookie contract, but eventually left for the Houston Rockets in 2021. Unfortunately, Houston decided not to hand Wilson a $6.9m qualifying offer, resulting in him becoming a free agent. Since then, he has bounced around between the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. He’s currently in his third spell with the Blue in 2022-23.
4. Sam Merrill, Sacramento Kings ($150,000)
26-year-old Sam Merrill is a shooting guard for the Cleveland Charge in the NBA G League. However, he was signed by the Sacramento Kings in August 2022, before being waived to join the Charge. Merrill’s contract is up at the end of this season, so he’ll be keen to impress at Cleveland.
Merrill was a standout performer at NCAAB level for Utah State and was the New Orleans Pelicans’ final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, who promptly traded him in a deal for Grayson Allen in August 2021.
3. Troy Williams, Houston Rockets ($122,741)
Troy Williams was a hot prospect in the NCAAB, making a name for himself at Indiana as a three-time All-Big Ten pick. Williams signed for the Memphis Grizzlies at the start of the 2016-17 season, after impressing in the Summer League for the Phoenix Suns.
By January 2017, the Grizzlies opted to waive Williams. He eventually signed with the Houston Rockets for 2018-19, securing a four-year contract worth $122,741 per season. He’s no longer on the Rockets’ roster and has recently been plying his trade in the Philippines’ PBA Governors’ Cup.
2. Demetrius Jackson, Boston Celtics ($92,857)
28-year-old point guard Demetrius Jackson was picked up by Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft. However, after only five appearances, he’s been farmed out elsewhere after failing to make the grade – Boston are a team with increasingly high standards and targets. Even though Jackson was last seen playing for basketball in Spain in 2021, he will still pick up $92,857 this year, followed by a further $92,857 in 2023-24, the final year of his Boston contract.
1. Charles Bassey, San Antonio Spurs ($74,742)
Charles Bassey has the unfortunate title of being the lowest-paid player in the 2022-23 NBA season. Signed to the 76ers as part of the 2021 NBA Draft, Bassey played 23 games for the 76ers last season, before being waived at the start of the 22-23 season. Bassey has since signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs, allowing him to gain experience playing for the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League too.
So the lowest paid player this season (as of this publication) is Bassey who earns less than $74,742 for his role as a two way player. This money may or may not include what he’s earning in the G-League, and to be clear the approximately $75,000 he’s earning at the bottom of this list represents just the Philadelphia 76ers portion of his salary.
If you feel bad for Bassey being the lowest paid player in the league, don’t! The 6-9 power forward just signed a 4 year, $10.2 million dollar deal on Valentines Day with the San Antonio Spurs. Of which includes a guaranteed $5.2M. See the tweet below.
