Who Are the 10 Highest Paid NBA Players?
G'day tribe. I hope you all had a Merry Xmas! Today I'm going to write about the highest paid NBA players, who are all very well paid when you consider the first NBA salary cap was $55,000 in 1946. Most players earned around $5,000 at the time.
Highest Paid NBA Players
Larry Bird cracked the $5 million salary mark in 1991. Magic Johnson then eclipsed $10 million in annual earnings in 1994, before Michael Jordan became the first player to sign a contract worth over $20 million and $30 million a season in 1996 and 1997.
In 2017 Stephen Curry became the first player to sign a contract worth more than $40 million per season. In a list that's only ever going to get higher and higher, let’s run down the top 10 highest paid NBA players.
10. Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Despite playoff disappointments during his time in Minnesota, Karl-Anthony Towns earned himself a supermax extension with a $224 million contract over four seasons. Clearly, Timberwolves owners were determined to keep their franchise player, regardless of the cost.
The deal kicks in for the 2024-25 season and so for now, he's on a salary just under $34 million. Towns' importance as one of the league's best scoring big men - both in the post and from range - has made him one of the highest paid NBA players.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed on a four-year, $224M super max extension, his agent Jessica Holtz of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal begins with the 2024-25 season and delivers Towns’ total contract value to six years and $295M.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
9. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Antetokounmpo signed a five-year contract extension with the Bucks for $228.2 million back in December 2020 making him one of the highest paid NBA players. There were whispers that he wanted to go to a bigger market. After signing the extension however, he led the Bucks to an NBA title and put those rumours to bed.
One of the top players in the NBA and an NBA MVP, Antetokounmpo has averaged over 28.4 and nearly 12 rebounds per game in five seasons prior to the 2022-23 season tip off. His average season salary of just over $45 million seems like a bargain for the Bucks.
Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo is signing a landmark NBA contract: Five years, $228.2 million. He remains a Milwaukee Buck: pic.twitter.com/jRHFi3HDOV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2020
8. LeBron James (LA Lakers)
At the age of 37, LeBron James is still one of the best players in the NBA. Surely his body will give out on him soon when you consider just how hard he plays the game. His son Bronny James is due to be drafted in 2024 and you'd expect that he'll do whatever it takes to play alongside him.
A free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season, James is among the highest paid NBA players with his current 2-year contract extension worth $97.1 million, for an average of $48.6 million per season. Off the court, James' marketability and earnings just cannot be beaten.
For the ninth straight year, LeBron James tops the NBA player earnings list, per @Forbes:
$124.5 million 💰 Over $80 million of that will come from off the court. pic.twitter.com/TpImvllcOA — Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 14, 2022
7. Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
Durant signed a contract extension for over $194 million over four seasons in 2021. He would have earned substantially more had he waited until free agency. The two-time NBA Finals MVP decided to return to the Nets after initially wanting a trade away from the team.
At age 33, there still appears to be plenty left in the tank. Durant joins Kyrie Irving in an attempt to lift the Nets to an NBA Championship for the first time ever. If he does, the nearly $49 million per year the Nets are putting out will be more than worth it.
The Kevin Durant trade discussions are over, the Nets say. He’s under contract for four years. https://t.co/Xnwk4rPW8q
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 23, 2022
6. Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
Butler signed an extension worth $146.40 million over three seasons back in August of 2021. For the 2021-22 season, Butler led the Heat to the top seed in the Eastern Conference, averaging a solid 21.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
Although Butler is still one of the top players in the league, he will be 36 by the end of his current contract, and his nearly $49 million per year salary could be a hindrance to the Heat at that time. If the Heat can win a title however, it'll all be worth it.
From JUCO to a max contract in the League. That's a story everyone should appreciate. Happy birthday, Jimmy Butler. pic.twitter.com/gPgu6SxuEA
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) September 14, 2021
5. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
After missing his first two NBA seasons with a foot injury, Embiid has been one of the top players in the league and is one of the highest paid NBA players. During the 2021-22 season he led the NBA in scoring with 30.6 points per game, along with 11.7 rebounds, and over 4 assists.
Embiid is arguably the most dominating center we've seen since the Shaq days. He was rewarded with a signing bonus in August 2021 and now will earn just under $196 million over four seasons, averaging just under $50 million per season. The only thing left for Embiid to do is to bring an NBA title to Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid and the 76ers are finalizing a four-year, $196M contract extension, per @ramonashelburne pic.twitter.com/lb2gYN9o9H
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 17, 2021
4. Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
Just after his 29th birthday Bradley Beal signed a 5-year, $251 million contract. It makes him one of the highest paid NBA players and will keep him in Washington through until the end of the 2026-27 season. The final year is an option that will be worth just north of $57 million.
Beal is a three-time All-Star and is always at the top of the list in trade talks as a sought out top scoring shooting guard. So far, the Wizards haven’t taken the bait but the pressures on to prove his worth his $50 million per season average salary.
Bradley Beal has agreed to a five-year, $251M max contract to stay with the Wizards, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/GJ1JIQHAan
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2022
3. Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
The two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has had two of the best overall seasons statically in the modern history of the league during his back-to-back MVP seasons. He's worth every dollar of his $264 million contract over 5 years, at just under $53 million per season.
This deal is currently the most lucrative contract in league history in terms of total dollars and he'll earn himself a cool $60 million during his option 2027-28 year.
Biggest single-season salary in NBA history:
Damian Lillard: $63M in 2027 Devin Booker: $62M in 2028 Karl-Anthony Towns: $62M in 2028 Nikola Jokic: $61M in 2028 The studs have earned it 🤑 pic.twitter.com/cRL21nhZ67 — Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) July 9, 2022
2. Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
Booker is one of the top offensive players in the NBA and at age 25, has seen it all with the Suns. He was part of a rebuild in his earlier days with the Suns who are now legitimate NBA Title contenders.
His current contract is worth $214 million over 4 seasons, averaging $53.5 million per season. The next thing on the agenda for Booker is to lead the Suns back to the NBA Finals and win a championship this time around.
Suns and Devin Booker are finalizing a four-year, $214M supermax contract extension, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/qxmk6KxXOM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2022
1. Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)
The four-time NBA champions set the bar with Steph Curry's 4-year, $215.35 million dollar contract. It averages just under $55 million per season and makes him the highest paid player in the NBA.
A problem for the Warriors in 2025-26 is that his salary will count just under $60 million against the cap. All the money Curry has earned has been worth it however. After all he’s led the Warriors to six NBA Finals appearances in eight seasons.
Warriors sign two-time MVP Stephen Curry to a contract extension: pic.twitter.com/snkTVjGndj
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) August 6, 2021
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Wolfgang Sport started in 2017 as a way to connect my passion for American and British sports. Today it's evolved into a blockchain sports blog pushing the boundaries into the crypto world and embracing Web3 technologies.