Basketball players are among the highest-earning athletes around the world. NBA, being the best basketball league, teams pay the players a huge sum of money for their contracts. This blog will look into the details of the top 10 players who are currently earning the highest NBA salary, alongside the breakdown of their contracts with their respective teams.
2023-2024 Highest NBA Salary of Top 10 Players
| No. | Player | Team | Playing Position | Salary | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | Point Guard | $51.92 Million | $55.76 Million | $59.61 Million | $0 Million |
| 2 | Kevin Durant | Phoenix Suns | Power Forward | $47.65 Million | $51.20 Million | $54.71 Million | $0 Milion |
| 3 | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | Small Forward | $47.61 Million | $51.42 Million | $0 Million | $0 Million |
| 4 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | Center | $47.61 Million | $51.42 Million | $55.22 Million | $59.03 Million |
| 5 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | Center | $46.90 Million | $51.42 Million | $55.22 Million | $59.03 Million |
| 6 | Bradley Beal | Phoenix Suns | Shooting Guard | $46.74 Million | $50.20 Million | $53.67 Million | $57.13 Million |
| 7 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Power Forward | $45.64 Million | $48.79 Million | $57.60 Million | $62.21 Million |
| 8 | Damian Lillard | Milwaukee Bucks | Point Guard | $45.64 Million | $48.79 Million | $58.55 Million | $63.23 Million |
| 9 | Kawhi Leonard | LA Clippers | Small Forward | $45.64 Million | $52.37 Million | $50.00 Million | $50.30 Million |
| 10 | Paul George | LA Clippers | Forward | $45.64 Million | $48.79 Million | $0 Million | $0 Million |
1. Stephen Curry - $51.9 Million
Golden State Warriors standout player, Stephen Curry is currently at the top position when it comes to the highest NBA salary. Stephen has been in this position of the highest-paid player of the season for the third consecutive year. He has signed a lucrative four-year, $215 Million extension in 2021.
Stephen Curry will receive the full amount guaranteed. This means to an average annual salary of $53.9 Million. For the 2023-24 season, Curry will be able to earn a base salary of $51.9 Million. This figure also serves as his cap hit and dead cap value for the season, standing at $51.9 Million.
2. Kevin Durant - $47.6 Million
Kevin Durant, a famous basketball player, has a really big contract with the Brooklyn Nets. He signed it on August 8, 2021, and it's for four years. This contract is worth a whopping $194.2 million, which means he's guaranteed to earn at least $189,078,320 over those four years. Every year, he'll make about $48.5 Million on average.
For the 2023-24 season, Kevin Durant's base salary is $46.5 Million. His "cap hit," which is what counts against the team's salary cap, is $47.7 Million. If you're wondering what happens if he leaves the team or gets traded, his "dead cap value" is also $46.5 Million.
3. LeBron James - $47.6 Million
James has been playing basketball in the NBA for a long time - 21 years to be exact. He's made a whopping $479.5 million throughout his career. Recently, James signed a new contract with the Lakers. It's a two-year deal worth $97 million. For the 2023-2024 season, he'll get $47.6 million, and the next year, he'll earn $51.4 million.
With this $97.1 million extension, his total earnings will reach an incredible $532 million guaranteed for his entire career. This makes him the highest-earning player in NBA history.
4. Nikola Jokic - $47.6 Million
Nikola Jokic, a star player for the Denver Nuggets, just signed a super big contract extension and he is on the list of highest NBA Salary. It's worth an unbelievable $276 million. This deal is special because it's the largest contract ever signed in NBA history. With this contract, Jokic will stay with the Nuggets until the end of the 2027-28 season.
Jokic's new contract will start from the NBA 2023-23 season and his salary is going to go up each year for the next five years. By the end of it, he'll be making a jaw-dropping $62.8 million for the 2027-28 NBA season.
5. Joel Embiid - $46.9 Million
Joel Embiid, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, has a really big contract, worth $213 million and lasts for four years. For the 2023-24 season, he's going to earn $47.6 million per year.
This doesn't include any extra money he might get from endorsements or other things. Also, he'll have to pay taxes and other expenses, like agent fees, so he won't keep all of it.
If Embiid decides to keep playing with the 76ers for the 2026-27 season by exercising his player option, he'll have earned a total of $380,102,965 from his NBA salaries by the time his current contract ends.
6. Bradley Beal - $46.7 Million
Bradley Beal, who plays for the Washington Wizards, signed a really big contract. It's a five-year deal worth a guaranteed $251 Million. On average, each year he'll earn around $50.2 Million. For the upcoming 2023-24 season, Beal's salary will be $46.7 Million
Throughout his impressive 10-year career so far, Beal has earned approximately $221 million by the end of the 2022-23 season.
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo - $45.6 Million
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the superstar of the Milwaukee Bucks, recently signed a five-year deal worth a jaw-dropping $228.2 Million. On average, each year he'll be earning around $45.6 Million.
When we analyze the breakdown of his contract over the years, you can see his salary increasing each season. It started at $39.3 Million in the 2021-22 season, then went up to $42.5 Million in the 2022-23 season, and now it's $45.6 Million for the 2023-24 season
8. Damian Lillard - $45.6 Million
For this current NBA season, Lillard will earn $45.6 Million as his base salary, just like before. This amount also counts towards the team's salary cap and is guaranteed for him, similar to previous seasons.
Back in July 2022, Lillard signed a two-year max veteran contract extension worth a whopping $121.8 Million. This new deal ensures he'll earn an average of $60,887,020 per year in upcoming seasons. Plus, there's a player option for the 2026-27 season that gives Damian Lillard some flexibility in the future.
9. Kawhi Leonard - $45.6 Million
Kawhi Leonard recently agreed to a big contract extension worth a whopping $152.4 million on a 3 years deal. This put him on the list of highest NBA Salary players. This extension keeps Leonard with his team until the end of the 2026-27 season.
For the first year of the extension, he'll earn an incredible $52 million. Then, for the following two years, he'll make around $50 million each year.
10. Paul George - $45.6 Million
Paul George, a key player for the LA Clippers, signed a four-year deal worth a total of $176.3 Million. On average, each year he'll earn around $44 Million.
For the current 2023-24 season, George's base salary is $45.6 Million, which is also the amount that counts against the team's salary cap.
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