Who are the highest-paid players for the 2024-25 NBA season?
By Lior Lampert
As the NBA salary cap continues rising drastically each year, the contracts players receive are becoming increasingly silly.
Projections indicate the cap will be more than twice the present value when 2034 rolls around -- from $140.58 million to $364.65 million -- good grief.
In May, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic ($) suggested the league "could have its first $100 million salary by the 2032-33 season." For reference, that'd be practically double what the highest-paid players make today.
With that in mind, who are the current top-earning members of the Association heading into the 2024-25 campaign? And how much are they being compensated for the upcoming season?
Who are the highest-paid players for the 2024-25 NBA season?
Rank | Player | Team | 2024-25 Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | $55,761,216 |
T-2. | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | $51,415,938 |
T-2. | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | $51,415,938 |
4 | Kevin Durant | Phoenix Suns | $51,179,021 |
5 | Bradley Beal | Phoenix Suns | $50,203,930 |
6 | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | $49,700,000 |
T-7. | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | $49,205,800 |
T-7. | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | $49,205,800 |
T-7. | Kawhi Leonard | Los Angeles Clippers | $49,205,800 |
T-7. | Paul George | Philadelphia 76ers | $49,205,800 |
All 2024-25 salary figures were provided via Basketball Reference.
Golden State Warriors franchise icon Stephen Curry tops the list with his $55.76 million yearly wage. The two best centers in basketball and the winners of the past four MVP Awards -- Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic -- are the next closest.
Three Phoenix Suns notably rank among the top 10 in 2024-25 earnings: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The star trio makes roughly as much as the respective cumulative payrolls of teams like the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs.
Earlier this summer, Boston Celtics All-NBA wing Jayson Tatum signed the largest contract in league history, though it doesn't kick until 2025-26. Until then, his running mate and reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown will represent the organization on this roster of incredibly expensive hoopers.
Meanwhile, ascending young superstars like Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as soon as next offseason. In other words, yesterday's price is not today's price, meaning this list should look much different in the future. Nevertheless, everyone being mentioned will make funny money for years to come.
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