Summer Sales – Who Will Take the Biggest Pay Cuts This Offseason?

The 2014 offseason is upon us, and with it comes some very difficult decisions for franchises looking to avoid luxury taxes and increase cap space.

Some budding stars are going to get rather large raises, while aging veterans and underachieving players will likely have to budget for only one Ferrari this year instead of two. Let’s take a look at some names of players likely to take pay cuts heading into next season.

Carmelo Anthony | 2013-14 Salary: $21,490,000

Melo is coming off yet another great season, arguably his best considering his career-highs in rebounds and 3-point percentage. However, the Knicks have more than $91 million on the books for the upcoming season (including Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, both with player options). Anthony’s pay cut will have to be voluntary, but he’s publicly stated that he’d be willing to take a pay cut in order to make room for more talent in New York. There are rumors that he would also do the same to play with Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose in Chicago, but for now Melo seems content with staying in New York and helping to build a contender. If the Knicks can manage some of their other assets and possibly trade away expiring contracts such as Stoudamire, Andrea Bargnani, or Tyson Chandler, then he very well may see a few million less next year.

Luol Deng | 2013-14 Salary: $14,312,125

Deng was having a career year in Chicago until being traded to the Cavaliers. He never really took off with the same command for scoring, and his overall numbers declined even though he played nearly as many minutes as he did in Chicago. Deng wants to win and will be looking for a contender to sign with this offseason. It’s likely that he’ll see a bit south of his $14 million contract from last season in order to sign in the right situation. I wouldn’t be shocked if he signed for single digits, though a desperate team might still overpay for him.

Pau Gasol | 2013-14 Salary: $19,285,850

There’s simply no way that Gasol matches anywhere near what he made last year. Gasol is still a very good big man in the league as he proved by somewhat carrying the team sans Kobe and Nash this past season, but he’s going to turn 34 in July and shot worse than 50 percent from the field for only the third time in his career. There are also durability issues, as Gasol has only played in 109 games over the past two years.

Paul Pierce | 2013-14 Salary: $15,333,334

This is technically a bit of a leap, but I think that Paul Pierce will be back next year in an NBA uniform. Whether he’ll be with Brooklyn or not is yet to be seen, and there are several opportunities out there for him. Doc Rivers and the Clippers await with presumably open arms for a proven veteran like Pierce, and most competing teams would love to have the leadership and drive that accompanies Pierce. Either way, he is certain to be playing for much less than he did last season. If Duncan is making $10 million this year, it’s not insane to think that Pierce might make around that or slightly less.

Shawn Marion | 2013-14 Salary: $9,316,796

Marion has regressed back to his rookie form statistically; however, he’s no less than serviceable on a contending team. He earned the second-most out of the whole Dallas Mavericks team in 2013-14, which is a testament to how much they value him on the team. I think if he’s willing to accept a heavy veteran discount and play for around $4-5 million, then the Mavericks will probably re-sign him.

Danny Granger | 2013-14 Salary: $14,379,240

Danny Granger drew the short end of the stick when Paul George rose to near-superstar status.  After being traded to the Clippers, he didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard. With injury issues leading to Granger playing in only 46 games over the past two years, durability will be a concern for most teams.  I would expect his salary to be cut in half in order for most teams to be interested.

Kris Humphries | 2013-14 Salary: $12,000,000

I remember thinking when Humphries signed his contract that he was receiving way too much.  Now after two subpar years in a row, the expectation for signing Humphries shouldn’t be more than paying in the $5-7 million range for a high-quality low post player off the bench.

Caron Butler | 2013-14 Salary: $8,386,992

Butler is a very intriguing case.  Though it’s easy to say his salary is a bit high for a backup small forward, especially one that is backing up the second-best player in the game, Butler became lethal from behind the arc off the bench for the Thunder this year.  He provides quality minutes and is a leader on and off the floor.  I expect him to take a pay cut, but maybe not as drastic as some of the other players on this list.