Top Five: NBA players who made most money

NBA players belong to the group of the highest paid athletes in the world, and some them have made $30 million per year, or even more. Right now, LeBron James makes most money in the NBA with nearly $31 million, which is much more than the second most paid player, Mike Conley, who makes $26.5 million this season.

In this list, we will count down five active NBA players who have made most money in their careers, so let's begin.

#5 - Paul Pierce ($194 million)

Paul Pierce had a very lucrative career as he spent 19 years in the NBA. Even though he decided to retire after this season, he still hasn't retired officially, therefore he is included in this list.

The small forward spent 15 years playing for the Boston Celtics where he made most of the money, but he also had a huge contract when he was on the Brooklyn Nets.

Pierce made most money in a single season in 2010, when he was paid $19.8 million. He currently has one more year on his contract, which is worth $3.7 million, but will most likely retire and won't be paid.

#4 - LeBron James ($200.6 million)

LeBron James is simply priceless and no matter how much you pay him, you could say he is always underpaid considering how good he is. He spent most of his career getting paid under $20 million a year, but his current contract makes him the most player in the entire league.

What makes LeBron's contract even more insane is the fact that he has two more years left, and if he stays with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the entire duration of it, he will be paid extra $79 million.

#3 - Carmelo Anthony ($201.1 million)

Since he was traded to the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony has become one of the highest paid NBA players, and he just had the fourth straight season of making over $22 million a year. This season, the small forward set the record for his highest paid year with $25.6 million.

Anthony has two more years left on his contract and he will make over $26.2 million next season.

It is not clear whether he will stay in New York or not, but there is no doubt that he will finish his career as one of the highest paid players in the NBA history.

#2 - Joe Johnson ($203.5 million)

Even though he has never been even close to being the best player in the NBA, Joe Johnson has made a lot of money in his career and only one active player has made more money than him.

Johnson earned most of his money in Brooklyn, as he made over $85 million for four years he spent playing for the Nets.

Johnson's most profitable year was 2015 and he was paid $23.2 million in it. He made $11 million this season and is set to make $10.5 million next year.

#1 - Dirk Nowitzki ($241.6 million)

Dirk Nowitzki has been the face of the Dallas Mavericks for nearly two decades and he will most likely retire with the team. Beside having a very successful NBA in terms of achievements, Nowitzki has made a lot of money, separating himself from rest of the pack.

The 38-year old forward made $25 million this season and he has a team option for the next year which will make him another $25 million.

Even though he is past his prime, the Mavericks rewarded Nowitzki's loyalty with a big contract and he will finish his career making over $260 million in career earnings.