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NBA Dead Money Rankings; Which Players Are Still Earning Millions Without Even Playing?

The Detroit Pistons were finally able to write Josh Smith’s salary off the books at the end of last season. Smith, who had not played in the league since the 2017-2018 season (it was only for three games that year), was still getting some fat cheddar from the Pistons.

In 2018-19 alone, the franchise was due to pay him $5.3 million, followed by another $5.3 million last season.

But with the Pistons finally ‘Josh Smith-free’, who else is some dead-weight on NBA teams’ paylists? Yesterday, a post on our Facebook page, about how the Lakers are still paying Luol Deng went viral. Deng is set make $5 million this year and $5 million again, next year. 

But his $5 million annual salary, only makes him the 6th seed on the NBA’s dead-money list.

1. Dion Waiters earns $12,650,000 from the Memphis Grizzlies this season
2. Nicolas Batum makes $9,043,478 from the Charlotte Hornets while playing for the L.A. Clippers
3. Joakim Noah will find $6,431,667 from the New York Knicks in his bank account this season
4. DeMarre Carroll will still make $6,119,676 from San Antonio this season
5. Ryan Anderson is owed $5,214,583 by the Miami Heat for the 2020-21 season 
6. Luol Deng, as mentioned
7. Jon Leuer makes $3,169,348 from the Milwaukee Bucks 
8. Dewayne Dedmon will get $2,866,667 from the Detroit Pistons 
9. Andrew Nicholson makes $2,844,430 from the Portland Trail Blazers this season
10. Monta Ellis is still receiving money from the Indiana Pacers, $2,245,400 this season alone
11. Anderson Varejao is also getting NBA money, $1,913,345 from the Portland Trail Blazers
12. Larry Sanders makes $1,865,546 from the Milwaukee Bucks this year
13. Josh Gray is getting paid $1,620,564 from Oklahoma City this season
14. JR Smith still receives a Cavaliers salary of $1,456,667 
15. Zylan Cheatham Makes $1,445,697 from the Oklahoma City Thunder this season