Signing an NBA contract isn’t a guarantee that you’ll ever play a regular-season game in your career.
Some players who didn’t actually make their dreams come true got paid a nice salary and then went on to continue their basketball journey with a great amount of success. One example: Euroleague champion (and former HoopsHype blogger) Pete Mickeal.
Check out the highest-paid NBA players who never got to play a single minute in the league.
1. Luca Vildoza
Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $3,542,789
2. Livio Jean-Charles
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $2,431,080
3. Rade Zagorac
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $2,328,242
4. Eric Griffin
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $1,328,495
5. Romain Sato
JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images
NBA earnings: $1,067,328
6. Frederic Weis
JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images
NBA earnings: $947,200
7. Sam Clancy
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP via Getty Images
NBA earnings: $913,137
8. Kennedy Meeks
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $815,615
8. Jeremy Senglin
Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $815,615
10. Nikita Morgunov
JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images
NBA earnings: $672,500
10. Mate Skelin
AP Photo/Darko Bandic
NBA earnings: $672,500
12. Tommy Smith
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
NBA earnings: $620,046
13. Da’Sean Butler
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $473,604
13. Terrico White
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $473,604
15. Pete Mickeal
MUSTAFA OZER/AFP via Getty Images
NBA earnings: $453,343
16. Adam Haluska
Ben Roberts/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC
NBA earnings: $427,163
16. Herbert Hill
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
NBA earnings: $427,163
18. Brian Chase
JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty Images
NBA earnings: $412,718
19. Damon Bailey
RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
NBA earnings: $400,000
20. Arthur Johnson
Terrence Vaccaro/NBAE via Getty Images
NBA earnings: $385,277
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