The NBA is easily the most lucrative place to make a living when you’re playing professional sports of any kind in the United States. NBA players make astronomical money, many of them upwards of $40-50 million per year.
But all of that money has to come from somewhere: their team’s coffers. Let’s take a look at which NBA teams have the highest payroll being put towards attracting and keeping the league’s top talent on their roster.
Which Teams Have the Highest Payroll?
It’s no surprise that some of the league’s top-performing teams over the last few years are near the top of this list. The Boston Celtics, last season’s champs, are in second place as one of only two teams to top $200 million.
The Phoenix Suns, who had a solid season but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, are the other $200-million-plus team. Just below that to round off the top five are the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers – all teams that made last year’s playoffs, including a deep run to the conference finals for Minnesota.
Here’s how much money each of the league’s teams is paying its players during the 2024-25 season:
| Rank | Team | 2024-25 Payroll |
| 1 | Phoenix Suns | $219.6M |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | $201.6M |
| 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves | $199.4M |
| 4 | Milwaukee Bucks | $191.0M |
| 5 | Los Angeles Lakers | $187.0M |
| 6 | Miami Heat | $184.1M |
| 7 | New York Knicks | $177.3M |
| 8 | Denver Nuggets | $177.2M |
| 9 | Memphis Grizzlies | $177.0M |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | $176.6M |
| 11 | Philadelphia 76ers | $176.2M |
| 12 | Dallas Mavericks | $175.2M |
| 13 | Los Angeles Clippers | $170.2M |
| 14 | Atlanta Hawks | $169.5M |
| 15 | Sacramento Kings | $167.6M |
| 16 | Portland Trail Blazers | $167.1M |
| 17 | Indiana Pacers | $166.5M |
| 18 | Chicago Bulls | $166.1M |
| 19 | Brooklyn Nets | $165.7M |
| 20 | Houston Rockets | $165.0M |
| 21 | New Orleans Pelicans | $163.7M |
| 22 | Cleveland Cavaliers | $161.1M |
| 23 | Oklahoma City Thunder | $159.2M |
| 24 | Washington Wizards | $158.9M |
| 25 | Charlotte Hornets | $155.9M |
| 26 | Toronto Raptors | $155.7M |
| 27 | Orlando Magic | $150.4M |
| 28 | San Antonio Spurs | $142.9M |
| 29 | Detroit Pistons | $129.1M |
| 30 | Utah Jazz | $128.7M |
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And there you have it! From the top spenders to the biggest savers, these are the NBA Payrolls for the 2024-25 season. Speaking of…
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the average NBA salary?
The average salary for an NBA player is about $9.1 million.
What is the current NBA salary cap limit?
The current salary cap is about $140 million per team.
How do NBA salaries compare to WNBA salaries?
The average WNBA player only makes about $73,000 per year, versus the NBA's $9.1 million average salary.
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