Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? These guys. Top 20 career NBA earners from Indiana.

Posted by Admin August 13, 2024 NBA

Gordon Hayward announced his retirement from the NBA earlier this month. The former Brownsburg High School and Butler basketball standout played 14 years in the NBA and earned nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. Yes, that’s billion with a B.

His $272,742,175 earned (per Basketball-Reference.com), is the second-most by a native Hoosier or player who graduated high school in Indiana.

NBA salaries have sky-rocketed. How much? Well, Larry Bird, arguably the greatest Indiana pro of all-time, earned $25,870,000 total in his 13 seasons. Hayward made $33,319,397 in the 2023-24 season alone.

Here’s a list of the top career NBA earners from Indiana:

20. Jared Jeffries (11 years): $40,528,625

The Bloomington native and 2000 IndyStar Mr. Basketball out of Bloomington North, Jeffries led IU to the 2002 national championship as a sophomore and then went pro. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists over 629 career NBA games. He played for the Knicks, Wizards, Trail Blazers and Rockets, Since retiring after the 2012-13 season, Jeffries has had his own fishing TV show and won big on “The Price is Right.”

19. E’Twaun Moore (10 years): $42,345,931

Born in East Chicago, Moore led East Chicago Central to the 2007 IHSAA 4A state championship over Eric Gordon and North Central. Alongside his fellow Baby Boilers, he helped engineer a renaissance in West Lafayette, and left as Purdue’s No. 3 scorer in program history. One of the final picks in the 2011 draft (55th overall) by the Celtics, Moore played 598 career NBA games, averaging 7.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He played for New Orleans, Orlando, Chicago, Boston and Phoenix before retiring in 2021. While his playing days proved lucrative, his post-playing career may eclipse it. Per a 2023 article in The Athletic, Moore has made millions in development investments, owns two McAllister’s Deli restaurants, an executive transportation business and more. On Thursday, K.C. Johnson reported the Bulls hired Moore as a scout.

18. Alan Henderson (12 years): $50,546,560

Henderson led Brebeuf Jesuit to the 1991 IHSAA state championship game, falling to Glenn Robinson’s Gary West. He graduated as IU’s all-time leader in rebounds (has since been passed by Trayce Jackson-Davis) and blocks (passed by TJD and Jeff Newton). He was drafted 16th overall by Atlanta, playing nine of his 12 NBA seasons there. He also played for the Mavericks, Cavaliers and 76ers. He scored 5,094 points in his career and was named the 1997-98 Most Improved Player, averaging 14.3 points and 6.4 rebounds a game that season. For his career, he averaged 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 652 games. He launched Henderson Spirits Group in 2019, producing a line of spirits bearing labels that celebrate pioneering Black Americans whose stories and achievements are under represented in the spirits industry and hardly known outside of it.

17. Miles Plumlee (7 years): $55,473,974

Born in Fort Wayne, Plumlee played three high school seasons at Warsaw before transferring to prep school in North Carolina. He played four seasons at Duke as a part-time starter, averaging 5.0 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. The Pacers saw enough to draft Plumlee in the first round of the 2020 draft despite fans pleading for Draymond Green. Plumlee played only 14 games for Indiana, and was traded five times in seven NBA seasons. In addition to the Pacers, he played for Phoenix, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Charlotte and averaged 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 346 career games. Last year, he married Australian model Catherine McNeil, who Vogue ranked among the top 30 models of the 2000s.

16. Darius Garland (5 years): $63,088,565

Born in Gary, Garland will climb this list quickly (he has $163,225,200 and four years left on a contract extension he signed after the 2022 season). He grew up in northwest Indiana and attended Bryce Drew’s Valparaiso camps before moving to Tennessee in middle school. He was a prep star there before he spurned his native Hoosiers for Vanderbilt, who was coached by Drew at the time. His lone college season lasted just five games because of injury, but he showed enough promise for Cleveland to draft him No. 5 overall in the 2019 draft. He’s among the league’s best young guards (when healthy), averaging 18.4 points and 6.7 assists in his first five seasons, including a 2022 All-Star nod.

15. Courtney Lee (12 years): $75,428,153

The Pike High School graduate won an IHSAA Class 4A state title with the Red Devils in 2003, alongside Mr. Basketball Justin Cage. Lee was lightly recruited and ended up at Western Kentucky, where he was first-team All-Sun Belt three times and was conference player of the year his senior year leading the Hilltoppers to the Sweet 16. Lee was selected No. 22 overall by Orlando in the 2008 draft and played for eight teams in his 12-year NBA career, finishing with 7,765 points (9.6 per game).

14. Mason Plumlee (11 years): $77,617,687

A native Hoosier, Plumlee spent his freshman year at Warsaw High School before heading to North Carolina prep school. He was a McDonald’s All American and North Carolina Mr. Basketball before heading to Duke. Brooklyn selected him No. 22 overall in the 2013 NBA draft. Plumlee has started 457 of his 787 career games, averaging 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. He’s played for six teams, with his best statistical run a 56-game stint with Charlotte in 2022-23, averaging 12.2 games, 9.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 56 starts. He played 46 times for the Clippers last season (5.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and signed a 1-year minimum deal worth $2,087,519 with the Suns this offseason.

13. Cody Zeller (11 years): $78,336,520

He led Washington High School to back-to-back IHSAA Class 3A state championships and was named 2011 IndyStar Mr. Basketball. Zeller averaged 16.1 points per game in his two IU seasons and was the centerpiece of the Hoosiers’ 2013 Big Ten regular season title. He was drafted fourth overall by Charlotte and spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career there. He has since played for the Trail Blazers, Heat and Pelicans. In 552 games (275 starts), Zeller has averaged 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and has been dogged by injuries. He was traded to Atlanta in July and signed a new 3-year, $11 million deal.

12. Michael Porter Jr. (6 years): $79,393,695

Born in Indianapolis, Porter was fifth-grade AAU teammates with Kris Wilkes and Paul Scruggs before his dad took a job with the University of Missouri women’s basketball team, and the family relocated. He won high school state championships in Missouri and Washington (dad got job at UW) and was Rivals’ No. 1-rated prospect in the 2017 class. He committed to Washington, but Lorenzo Romar was fired, and Michael Porter Sr. landed a job back at Mizzou. So, son followed. He missed nearly all of his freshman season because of injury but was still picked No. 14 overall by Denver in the 2018 draft. The Nuggets’ gamble paid off. Injuries are still a big story (Porter didn’t play the 2018-19 season and only played nine times in 2021-22), but when healthy, he produces. In 2020-21, he averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds a game and was third in the Most Improved Player voting. He averaged 17.4 points for the Nuggets’ 2022-23 championship team. Porter has three years left on his current deal, averaging $38.3 million per season.

11. Glenn Robinson (11 years): $80,221,250

Robinson was 1991 IndyStar Mr. Basketball, leading Gary Roosevelt to the IHSAA state championship. He set the Big Ten single-season scoring record of 1,030 points as a Purdue sophomore, earning Big Ten MVP honors and leading the Boilermakers to the Elite Eight. He earned the Wooden Award, Naismith Award and USBWA Player of the Year honors before being the No. 1 overall pick by Milwaukee in the 1994 NBA draft. The Big Dog was a two-time All-Star in an 11-season NBA career with Milwaukee, Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Antonio. Robinson helped the Spurs win the 2005 NBA championship.

10. Jaren Jackson Jr. (6 years): $85,329,247

His dad played 12 seasons with nine teams and Jaren Jr. was born in New Jersey. He won back-to-back IHSAA Class 2A state titles at Park Tudor in 2014 and 2015 before finishing at La Lumiere. He was named a McDonald’s All American and won Big Ten Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year at Michigan State in 2018. Memphis took him the No. 4 pick in the 2018 NBA draft and he’s has been a first-team All-Defense pick twice (twice led the league in blocks) and was an All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23. Last season, he averaged a career-high with 22.5 points per game.

9. Brad Miller (14 years): $91,247,500

A Kendallville native, Miller played at East Noble before prep school in Maine. He returned home to play for Gene Keady’s Boilermakers and was a top reserve on Purdue’s 1995 Big Ten title team. He then paired with Chad Austin to lead Purdue to a Big Ten three-peat as sophomores. He went undrafted and began his pro career in Europe, playing in Italy when the NBA lockout stretched into 1999. By his fifth pro season he was an NBA All-Star, with the Pacers, and he repeated the distinction a year later with Sacramento. He played 868 NBA games, averaging 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for his career. His post-playing career has included a TV show “Country Boys Outdoors” on the Sportsman Channel and he’s big advocate for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

8. Shawn Kemp (14 years): $91,572,963

Before he was “The Reign Man” in Seattle, Kemp was devastating opponents for Concord High School, leading the Minutemen to the 1988 state finals. A Kentucky commit, many think Kemp was bypassed for Mr. Basketball in favor of Woody Austin because Austin was staying in-state at Purdue and Kemp was headed to Kentucky. Austin, the state’s leading scorer with a 33.3-point scoring average, edged Kemp in the voting, 124 to 100. Kemp, an Elkhart native, never played at UK, failing to meet the minimum test scores. He entered the 1989 NBA draft having never played a college game and was taken 17th overall by the Seattle Supersonics. He became one of the most feared NBA power forwards in the 1990s, making six straight All-Star games (1993-98). He averaged 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds in 1,051 career games, finishing his career with stints in Cleveland, Portland and Orlando.

7. Jeff Teague (12 years): $98,794,870

A 2007 Indiana All-Star out of Pike, Teague was rated by Rivals as the No. 57 prospect in the country. He blossomed in college at Wake Forest, averaging 18.8 points and 3.5 assists as a sophomore to earn All-American honors and was selected No. 19 by Atlanta in the 2009 NBA draft. Teague’s NBA career took off in his third season as he became a full-time starter for the Hawks. He made the 2015 All-Star team, helping Atlanta to the Eastern Conference finals. Teague was traded to the hometown Pacers for the 2016-17 season, starting all 82 games and averaging 15.3 points and 7.8 assists. He signed with Minnesota and played three seasons with the Timberwolves before playing another year with the Hawks in 2019-20 and splitting his final season in 2020-21 with Boston and Milwaukee, winning a championship ring with the Bucks. Teague was working as a regional scout for Atlanta, before taking the Pike boys basketball coaching job. Entering his second season on Pike’s bench, Teague also is co-host of the popular Club 520 Podcast.

6. Gary Harris (10 years): $107,312,615

A standout wide receiver for Hamilton Southeastern, too, Harris won IndyStar Mr. Basketball in 2012 and spent two seasons at Michigan State, where he was named 2013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten the following season. He was drafted No. 19 overall by Chicago, but traded on draft night to Denver. He spent the first six seasons of his pro career with the Nuggets, earning votes for Most Improved Player in 2016 and 2017. He signed a 4-year, $84 million extension and responded with his best statistical season in 2018, averaging 17.5 points and 2.9 assists. He was traded to Orlando during the 2020-21 season and has been an off-and-on starter with the Magic since, averaging 9.0 points in 183 games with Orlando.

5. George Hill (15 years): $113,331,400

Hill was a star at Broad Ripple, averaging a state-leading 36.2 points as a senior. He went to IUPUI and was the Summit League player of the year in 2008, averaging 21.5 pounds, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He was drafted No. 26 by San Antonio and became a vital piece on a good Spurs team, finishing second in Most Improved voting his second season and garnering strong Sixth Man of the Year consideration in 2011. He was traded on draft night in 2011 to his hometown Pacers… for the draft rights to Kawhi Leonard. Hill averaged 12.3 points per game and was key to the Pacers’ back-to-back Central Division champs and Eastern Conference finalists. He was traded for another homegrown point guard (Jeff Teague) after the 2016 season and has played for Utah, Sacramento, Cleveland, Milwaukee (twice), Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and back to Indiana since. Hill last played in the 2022-23 season and spends a lot of time on his 900-acre ranch in Texas with 1,000 animals, including kangaroos, zebras and ostrich, according to andscape.

4. Eric Gordon (16 years): $181,395,898

Gordon averaged 29 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a senior and led North Central to the Class 4A state title game, losing to E’Twaun Moore’s East Chicago Central squad. He won IndyStar Mr. Basketball, was a McDonald’s All American and a first-team Parade All-American. Originally committed to Illinois, Gordon switched to IU after the Hoosiers hired Kelvin Sampson. In 2007-08, Gordon led the Big Ten in scoring, set a conference record for points by a freshman and was named an All-American. He was drafted No. 7 overall by the Clippers and has been in the NBA for 16 seasons, averaging double-digit scoring each year. Injuries have plagued Gordon, whose best statistical season was 2010-11 when he averaged 22.3 points and 4.4 assists per game. He won NBA Sixth Man of the Year with Houston in 2016-17 and was second in the voting for the same award the following season. He’s ninth among active players in 3-pointers made (2,028) and signed a 2-year, $6.8 million contract with Philadelphia this offseason.

3. Zach Randolph (17 years): $199,124,765

Mr. Basketball runner-up to Jared Jeffries, Randolph led Marion to a state championship as a senior and earned McDonald’s All American honors. He spent one season at Michigan State before declaring for the draft, where he was selected 19th overall by Portland. He rose to prominence as a member of a Trail Blazers squad featuring Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells (a fellow Hoosier) and Damon Stoudamire and became one of the most productive power forwards in the NBA of his time. Randolph had three seasons where he averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, including 2010 when he was named third-team All-NBA. A two-time All-Star with Memphis, Randolph won Most Improved Player for the 2003-04 season. For his career, Randolph averaged 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

2. Gordon Hayward (14 years): $272,742,175

Hayward led Brownsburg to the 2008 Class 4A state championship on a buzzer-beater against Marion, and was an Indiana All-Star. At Butler, Hayward started right away and averaged 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman. In the Bulldogs’ 2010 Final Four run, he averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. Hayward played 14 NBA seasons, the first seven in Utah after being selected ninth overall in the 2010 NBA draft. He made the 2017 All-Star Game on his way to averaging a career-high 21.9 points per game, as well as 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He improved his scoring average every season with the Jazz. Hayward signed with Boston in 2016 but suffered a severe leg injury 6 minutes into the season opener. He returned the next season and played in Boston through 2019-20. He played three-plus seasons for Charlotte before being traded to Oklahoma City midway through last season. Not bad for a tennis player.

1. Mike Conley (17 years): $276,852,026

Pairing with Mike Oden, Conley led Lawrence North to three state championships from 2004-06, including a 29-0 season as a senior. In one season at Ohio State, he and Oden helped the Thad Matta-coached Buckeyes to the national championship game. Conley was the No. 4 overall pick by Memphis in the 2007 draft. He played 12 seasons with the Grizzlies, averaging 14.9 points and 5.7 assists and was named to the All-Defensive team in 2012-13. Conley was traded to the Jazz after the 2019 season and he made his lone All-Star appearance in 2021. He played 76 games for Minnesota last season, and signed a 2-year, $20 million extension this offseason. For his career, he’s averaging 16.4 points, 6.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 1,101 games. He’s sixth among active players with 6,306 career assists. He’s won the Joe Dumars Trophy (for best sportsmanship) four times and has twice been named the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.

IndyStar sports reporters Kyle Neddenriep, Akeem Glaspie, Nathan Baird and Scott Horner contributed to this story.