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There’s no surprise at No. 1. Carmelo Anthony is the highest-paid Knick player of all-time, after making $146M over the course of seven seasons (2011-2017) in New York.

Melo was moved to the Knicks in February 2011 after requesting a trade out of Denver. Anthony made the 2nd and 3rd All-NBA Teams in the first couple of years at MSG while averaging 25-plus points per game, but he couldn’t lead his team to a deep playoff run. In the 2014 offseason, the then 28-year-old superstar signed a five-year, $124M extension with the Knicks.

After signing his big contract, he began experiencing knee injuries. The team’s performance declined, and his relationship with then-team president Phil Jackson deteriorated over the years. He demanded a trade from New York during the 2017 offseason and was moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder in September.

While Carmelo Anthony posted impressive statistics in New York and earned top dollar, his team success was limited, especially compared to his tenure in Denver, which he had been so eager to leave.

Money per game: $312,256
Highest Knick salary: $24,559,380 in 2016-17 (No. 9 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 24.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 44.3 FG% in seven seasons

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Allan Houston comes in at No. 2, despite playing in the late 1990s, early 2000s in the league. Houston was arguably a very good free agent pickup by the New York Knicks in 1996 after his rookie contract with the Detroit Pistons ended.

In his first season at MSG, Houston was the starting shooting guard for the team in place of John Starks. In 1999, Houston was a big part of why the No. 8-seeded Knicks made the NBA Finals. He even averaged an impressive 21.6 points per game in a losing effort in the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Houston made the All-Star team twice with the Knicks in 2000 and 2001.

His big payday arrived in 2001 when he inked a six-year, $100M contract extension with the Knicks. That was superstar money. Unfortunately, he dealt with injuries the following seasons and never lived up to his contract. Houston did not play his final two years of his contract but received $19 million for the 2005-2006 season, making him the second-highest-paid player in the Association without playing a single game.

Money per game: $173,243
Highest Knick salary: $19,125,000 in 2005-06 (No. 2 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 18.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 44.5 FG% in nine seasons

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Our salary database dates back only to the 1990-91 season, yet when considering his salaries in the 80s, Patrick Ewing’s earnings with the Knicks easily surpass $100 million.

Ewing was a major factor in the Knicks’ success during his prime years. With Michael Jordan out of the league in 1994, he even led his team to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for New York, he never seemed to be able to get over the hump. Following the team’s successes during those years, Ewing landed a massive four-year, $60 million extension in the summer of 1997 at age 34. He was one of the best-paid players in the Association at the time. However, as age and injuries took a toll, Ewing requested a trade from New York by 2000.

Money per game: $80,685
Highest Knick salary: $20,500,000 in 1997-98 (No. 2 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 22.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 50.8 FG% in 15 seasons

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“The Knicks are back,” Amare Stoudemire said in 2010 upon signing a five-year, $100 million contract with the New York Knicks. And in his first season with the team, Stoudemire lived up to the hype, looking like an MVP candidate. The then 28-year-old star was named an All-Star starter and finished the 2011 season averaging 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, however, he was injured, and from that point on… he never looked the same.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Stoudemire gained weight, got injured again, and pretty quickly, his bad health turned him into a bad contract for New York.

Money per game: $366,082
Highest Knick salary: $21,410,988 in 2014-15 (No. 4 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 17.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 51.8 FG% in five seasons

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Stephon Marbury could’ve been a great story for the NBA and the New York Knicks specifically. Marbury, a lifelong fan of the Knicks and resident of the New York area, was traded to the franchise in 2004. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan.

After finishing off his first half-season with the Knicks and getting swept in the playoffs, the public feuds between Marbury and head coach Larry Brown began and weren’t pretty. Brown got fired, Marbury became the villain of New York, with fans and teammates unhappy with his behavior. Similarly, Marbury engaged in public spats with New York’s following head coach, Isiah Thomas. Despite his poor attitude and performance (career lows in points per game), Marbury was getting paid $20 million per year. His time with the Knicks ended with a buyout in 2009.

Ultimately, what could have been a remarkable story devolved into an ugly episode in New York’s history.

There would be a redemption of sorts for Starbury in China eventually, but that’s a story for another day.

Money per game: $302,802
Highest Knick salary: $20,840,625 in 2008-09 (No. 6 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 18.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 7.0 apg, 44.0 FG% in five seasons

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At just 28 years of age and four seasons in New York, Julius Randle is the sixth highest-paid Knick ever. It goes to show you how much the contracts in the NBA have changed with time. Randle has quite overachieved in his time at MSG, especially during the regular season. He has made two All-Star teams with the Knicks and two All-NBA teams. His contract runs through 2026, so by the end of it, he could very well be at No. 1 on this list.

Money per game: $272,257
Highest Knick salary: $23,760,000 in 2022-23 (No. 54 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 22.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 4.6 apg, 44.7 FG% in four seasons

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Joakim Noah’s signing has often been deemed the worst in the franchise’s history. This was because he earned millions per year without playing much for the Knicks.

After a great run in Chicago, Phil Jackson signed Noah to a four-year contract, bringing him back to his hometown, New York. But the former All-Star center clearly was on his last wheels. A series of injuries, a 20-game drug suspension, and more injuries left Knicks fans astounded. Noah even was assigned to the G League to get minutes and recover physically. Just two years after Jackson signed him, New York decided to release Noah.

Money per game: $1,248,270
Highest Knick salary: $18,530,000 in 2018-19 (No. 57 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 4.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 49.1 FG% in two seasons

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Derrick Rose has been a part of the New York Knicks franchise on two separate tenures (2016-2017, 2021-2023). During his first one, after getting traded from Chicago, he tore his meniscus at the end of the 2017 season. The former MVP then signed with Cleveland and eventually got traded to New York again in 2021. Rose was a key contributor coming off the bench, even coming close to winning the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Money per game: $339,827
Highest Knick salary: $21,323,252 in 2016-17 (No. 21 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 14.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 46.3 FG% in four seasons

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Latrell Sprewell’s contract with the Knicks was arguably one of the better ones for the franchise – at least early on. Despite trading for a player who was supposedly hard to manage, Sprewell proved instrumental in New York’s deep playoff run in 1999. In the subsequent seasons, he became the go-to guy for the Knicks and even made the All-Star team in 2001, but he didn’t have great team success to show for it. Finally, before his final year, he reported to training camp with a broken hand, which he allegedly hurt in his yacht, and everything went downhill. He got traded at the end of the season.

Money per game: $130,229
Highest Knick salary: $12,375,000 in 2002-03 (No. 15 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 17.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 41.8 FG% in five seasons

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Eddy Curry joined the Knicks in 2005, and the circumstances of his acquisition are quite a story. While with the Bulls, Curry was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. A few months later, after resuming practice, the Bulls asked him to undergo a DNA test to determine if he had a congenital heart condition. Curry declined the DNA test, which ultimately led to his trade to New York.

Under coach Larry Brown, Curry’s performance was less impressive than in his previous season in Chicago. Brown appeared frustrated with Curry’s struggles in defense and rebounding. However, under the guidance of Isiah Thomas, Curry seemed to improve, averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in the 2006-2007 season. Despite this, the team had limited success. In the subsequent years, Curry arrived at training camp in poor condition and eventually lost his starting position. He played sparsely in the last two years of his contract.

Money per game: $201,500
Highest Knick salary: $10,500,423 in 2009-10 (No. 56 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 15.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.6 bpg, 56.3 FG% in five seasons

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In 2011, the Knicks made a surprising acquisition, securing Tyson Chandler right after his championship win with the Dallas Mavericks. In his first season at MSG, Chandler made the Knicks one of the best defensive teams in the Association, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. He even made the All-NBA Third Team in 2012 and the All-Star Team in 2013. Overall, he was a great pickup in a pretty solid Knick team.

Money per game: $204,062
Highest Knick salary: $14,100,538 in 2013-14 (No. 32 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 10.2 ppg, 101 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 63.8 FG% in three seasons

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Shandon Anderson was arguably yet another bad contract for the New York Knicks. Most fans at MSG remember him for his bad contract rather than his contribution to the team on the court. He got paid $40 million by the Knicks to only average eight points in his best year with the team. Anderson got waived by New York in 2004, but the team was still paying him in 2006-07. (By the way, Anderson ended up winning a championship in 2006 with the Heat and subsequently retired).

Money per game: $163,633
Highest Knick salary: $7,300,000 in 2004-05 (No. 72 in the NBA that season)
Knicks stats: 7.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.2 apg, 43.0 FG% in four seasons

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