The National Basketball League’s 30 professional teams are some of the highest-paying franchises to be a member of as a professional athlete. NBA basketball pays better than even NFL football, on average.
But some players are just so good and so special that their salaries reach a new tier entirely, far beyond the league average. These are the household name, franchise-face players like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were.
Who’s the current highest earner in the NBA? Let’s take a look.
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Who is the Highest-Paid NBA Player?
The honor of current highest-paid player in the NBA goes to … Stephen Curry, point guard for the Golden State Warriors. At $55.8 million, Curry is by far the highest paid player in the NBA. The next closest is the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić, who makes $51.4 million.
So, what lands you the most lucrative contract in one of the most lucrative professional sports? Try Curry’s four NBA championship titles, two MVP awards and ten All-Star selections.
Curry is also credited with popularizing dynamic three-point shooting, and many consider him the greatest three-point shooter to ever play the game. He holds records for efficiency and three-pointers, in addition to other accolades.
Top 30 Highest-Paid NBA Players
So, besides Curry, who else is bringing in the big bucks in the NBA? This list should be pretty familiar to any serious NBA fan: most of its members are perennial fixtures of the NBA playoffs.
Household NBA names like Joel Embiid, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown are nearing or make north of $50 million. Many of those players were also on the U.S. Olympic Basketball team during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Here’s a look at the top 30 players who make the most money playing NBA basketball. And to find out which teams of pushing out the most cash this NBA season, check out our NBA Team Payrolls Guide.
| Rank | Player | Team | 2024-25 Salary |
| 1 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | $55.8M |
| 2 | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets | $51.4M |
| 3 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | $51.4M |
| 4 | Kevin Durant | Phoenix Suns | $51.2M |
| 5 | Bradley Beal | Phoenix Suns | $50.2M |
| 6 | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | $49.7M |
| 7 | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | $49.2M |
| 8 | Paul George | Philadelphia 76ers | $49.2M |
| 9 | Kawhi Leonard | Los Angeles Clippers | $49.2M |
| 10 | Karl-Anthony Towns | New York Knicks | $49.2M |
| 11 | Jimmy Butler | Miami Heat | $48.8M |
| 12 | Damian Lillard | Milwaukee Bucks | $48.8M |
| 13 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | $48.8M |
| 14 | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | $48.7M |
| 15 | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | $43.8M |
| 16 | Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | $43.2M |
| 17 | Trae Young | Atlanta Hawks | $43.0M |
| 18 | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks | $43.0M |
| 19 | Zach LaVine | Chicago Bulls | $43.0M |
| 20 | Fred VanVleet | Houston Rockets | $42.8M |
| 21 | Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | $42.2M |
| 22 | Pascal Siakam | Indiana Pacers | $42.2M |
| 23 | Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | $42.2M |
| 24 | Lauri Markkanen | Utah Jazz | $42.2M |
| 25 | Kyrie Irving | Dallas Mavericks | $41.0M |
| 26 | Domantas Sabonis | Sacramento Kings | $40.5M |
| 27 | Ben Simmons | Brooklyn Nets | $40.3M |
| 28 | Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies | $36.7M |
| 29 | Zion Williamson | New Orleans Pelicans | $36.7M |
| 30 | Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers | $36.7M |
What’s the Average NBA Salary?
The NBA has the highest average salary of any major U.S. sport at $9.7 million in the 2023-24 season.
What is the NBA’s Minimum Wage?
The NBA’s lowest-paid players may not make nearly as much as their household-name peers, but the NBA’s minimum wage is still a lucrative salary to make a living playing your favorite sport: The lowest paid players in the NBA still make a little over $1 million in their first year.
That figure is also higher than the minimum wage in other sports: rookies make a minimum of $795,000 in the NFL, $775,000 in the NHL, $740,000 in the MLB and $89,000 in the MLS.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the highest paid NBA player?
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warrriors.
How much does Steph Curry make?
Stephen Curry makes $55 million.
When did Steph Curry join the NBA?
Steph Curry was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2009.
How much do NBA players get paid compared to WNBA players?
The salary difference between NBA and WNBA players is vast, with the highest salary in the NBA being $55 million (Stephen Curry) and the highest salary in the WNBA being $241,984 (Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kahleah Copper). That's around 220 times more money.
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