The highest-paid NBA players by season has recently eclipsed $40 million. Stephen Curry has the most seasons leading the league with 9. Michael Jordan holds the largest 1-year contract in NBA history, LeBron James is the highest career earner, and Stephen Curry is the highest season earner as well as the largest multi-year contract holder in NBA history.
During the 1946–47 NBA season Joe Fulks was the highest paid player ($8,000) in the Basketball Association of America and Bob Davies was the highest paid player ($12,500) of the National Basketball League.
George Mikan became the first player to earn $15,000 per season in the 1948–49 NBA season.
Wilt Chamberlain was the first player to receive $100,000 in the 1965–66 NBA season. That same season, Bill Russell became just the second player to receive over $100,000.
Moses Malone & Bill Walton were the first players to earn $1 million in a season, they were paid exactly $1,000,000 in the 1979–80 NBA season.
Larry Bird became the first player to earn $5 million or more with a salary of $7,070,000 in the 1991–92 NBA season.
Magic Johnson became the first player to earn $10 million or more in the 1994–95 NBA season with a salary of $14,660,000.
Patrick Ewing became the first player to earn $15 million or more in the 1995–96 NBA season with a salary of $18,724,000.
Michael Jordan became the first NBA player to sign a contract worth over $20 million and $30 million in a season (1996–97) and earned $33,140,000 in the 1997–98 NBA season, setting the record for the largest 1-year contract in NBA history, and held the overall record for over 20 years. Kobe Bryant became just the second player to eclipse $30 million when the 2013–14 NBA season began. LeBron James became the third in the 2016–17 NBA season.
Stephen Curry signed a record 5-year contract worth $201 million in 2017 with a starting payout of $34,682,550 in the 2017–18 NBA season, setting a new single-season record in earnings. He became the first player to eclipse $40 million in the 2019–20 NBA season. After signing a 4-year contract extension worth $215 million in 2021, Curry went on to become the first player to eclipse $50 million in the 2023–24 NBA season and is expected to be the first NBA player to eclipse $60 million in the 2026–27 NBA season, having signed a contract worth $62,587,158.
Starting from the 1984–85 NBA season, the NBA's first salary cap was introduced. The NBA salary cap is the maximum dollar amount each NBA team can spend on its players for the season. However, the NBA uses a "soft" salary cap, which allow NBA teams to exceed their allotted amount in order to sign players through significant "salary exceptions". The salary cap is determined during the offseason, but is liable to change.
An exception is necessary to sign a player for a contract that would exceed the salary cap threshold of the "soft cap". The Larry Bird exception, more commonly known as Bird Rights, allows teams to re-sign a current player only if he has played for that particular team for a minimum of three years. Another exception, known as the mid-level exception, allows for teams that are over the salary cap to sign one or more players as long as they do not exceed the total amount of the average NBA salary. Next, the bi-annual exception can be used by teams every other year to sign a free agent(s) for up to two years at an amount set by the NBA. Finally, the rookie player exception allows any NBA team to sign their first-round draft pick to a contract based upon a scale previously set forth by the NBA. Another option for teams would be to assign players to a league-assigned minimum salary contract for a maximum of two years.
Highest-paid player by season
+YearPlayerTeamSalaryJoe FulksPhiladelphia Warriors$8,000George MikanMinneapolis Lakers$12,500George MikanMinneapolis Lakers$15,000$15,000George Mikan Harry BoykoffMinneapolis Lakers Tri-Cities Blackhawks$15,000George MikanMinneapolis Lakers$15,000George MikanMinneapolis Lakers$20,000$20,000Bob CousyBoston Celtics$25,000$25,000$25,000$25,000Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia 76ers$30,000Wilt ChamberlainPhiladelphia 76ers$65,000$65,000$65,000$65,000$65,000*Bill RussellBoston Celtics$100,001$100,001Bill BradleyNew York Knicks$125,000Wilt ChamberlainLos Angeles Lakers$250,000Wilt Chamberlain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor)Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks$250,000Pete MaravichAtlanta Hawks$380,000$380,000$380,000Ernie DiGregorioBuffalo Braves$500,000Ernie DiGregorio Kareem Abdul-JabbarBuffalo Braves Milwaukee Bucks$500,000Kareem Abdul-JabbarLos Angeles Lakers$650,000$650,000$650,000David ThompsonDenver Nuggets$800,000Moses Malone Bill WaltonPhiladelphia 76ers San Diego Clippers$1,000,000Julius Erving Moses Malone
Bill Walton
Kareem Abdul-JabbarPhiladelphia 76ers Philadelphia 76ers
San Diego Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers$1,000,000Otis Birdsong Julius Erving
Moses Malone
Bill Walton
Kareem Abdul-JabbarNew Jersey Nets Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
San Diego Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers$1,000,000Moses MalonePhiladelphia 76ers$2,200,000$2,200,000Magic JohnsonLos Angeles Lakers$2,500,000$2,500,000$2,500,000Patrick EwingNew York Knicks$2,750,000$3,250,000$3,750,000$4,250,000Larry BirdBoston Celtics$7,070,000David RobinsonSan Antonio Spurs$5,720,000$5,740,000Magic JohnsonLos Angeles Lakers$14,660,000Patrick EwingNew York Knicks$18,724,000Michael JordanChicago Bulls$30,140,000$33,140,000Patrick EwingNew York Knicks$18,500,000Shaquille O'NealLos Angeles Lakers$17,142,000Kevin GarnettMinnesota Timberwolves$19,600,000$22,400,000$25,200,000$28,000,000Shaquille O'NealMiami Heat$27,696,430$20,000,000Kevin GarnettMinnesota Timberwolves$21,000,000Boston Celtics$23,751,934$24,751,934Kobe BryantLos Angeles Lakers$23,034,375$24,806,250$25,244,493$30,453,805$30,453,805$23,500,000$25,000,000LeBron JamesCleveland Cavaliers$30,963,450Stephen CurryGolden State Warriors$34,682,550$37,457,154$40,231,758$43,006,362$45,780,966$48,070,014$51,915,615$55,761,216$59,606,817Upcoming Seasons (including Player Options)2026–27Stephen CurryGolden State Warriors$62,587,1582027–28Nikola JokićDenver Nuggets$62,841,7022028–29Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers$67,396,0002029–30Jayson TatumBoston Celtics$71,446,9142030–31Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderOklahoma City Thunder$75,646,200
Highest career earners RankPlayerStartEndSalary1LeBron James2003–04Present$581,375,5482Kevin Durant2007–08Present$501,135,6533Stephen Curry2009–10Present$470,141,5074James Harden2009–10Present$411,406,6745Paul George2010–11Present$406,203,9766Chris Paul2005–06Present$404,526,5727Kawhi Leonard2011–12Present$375,772,0118Jimmy Butler2011–12Present$366,174,3189Damian Lillard2012–13Present$365,371,69110Anthony Davis2012–13Present$364,454,284Updated through the 2025–26 NBA season +RankPlayerStartEndSalary1Kevin Durant2007–08Present$591,135,6532LeBron James2003–04Present$581,375,5483Stephen Curry2009–10Present$532,728,6654Devin Booker2015–16Present$520,335,1085Paul George2010–11Present$516,917,0266Joel Embiid2014–15Present$509,313,8517Anthony Davis2012–13Present$485,697,5328Damian Lillard2012–13Present$482,940,1039Shai Gilgeous-Alexander2018–19Present$469,632,40010Jayson Tatum2017–18Present$469,471,035Updated through end of All Current Contracts, as of 2025–26 NBA season
2020s
2026–2027
Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $62,587,158 Golden State Warriors Nikola Jokić $59,033,114Denver Nuggets Giannis Antetokounmpo $58,456,566 Miami Heat Anthony Davis Washington Wizards Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics Joel Embiid $57,985,752 Philadelphia 76ers Devin Booker $57,078,728 Phoenix Suns Jaylen Brown Philadelphia 76ers Karl-Anthony Towns New York Knicks Jimmy Butler $56,832,773 Golden State Warriors
2025–2026
Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $59,606,817 Golden State Warriors Joel Embiid $55,224,526 Philadelphia 76ers Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets Giannis Antetokounmpo $54,126,450 Milwaukee Bucks Jimmy Butler Golden State Warriors Anthony Davis Dallas Mavericks/Washington Wizards Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics Kevin Durant $53,282,608 Houston Rockets Devin Booker $53,142,264 Phoenix Suns Jaylen Brown Boston Celtics Karl-Anthony Towns New York Knicks
2024–2025
Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $55,761,216 Golden State Warriors Joel Embiid $51,415,938 Philadelphia 76ers Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets Kevin Durant $51,179,021 Phoenix Suns Bradley Beal $50,203,930 Phoenix Suns Devin Booker $49,205,800 Phoenix Suns Jaylen Brown Boston Celtics Paul George Philadelphia 76ers Kawhi Leonard Los Angeles Clippers Karl-Anthony Towns New York Knicks
2023–2024
Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $51,915,615 Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant $47,649,433 Phoenix Suns Joel Embiid $47,607,350 Philadelphia 76ers LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets Bradley Beal $46,741,590 Phoenix Suns Giannis Antetokounmpo $45,640,084 Milwaukee Bucks Paul George Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard Los Angeles Clippers Damian Lillard Milwaukee Bucks
2022–2023
Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $48,070,014 Golden State Warriors LeBron James $44,474,988 Los Angeles Lakers Kevin Durant $44,124,845 Brooklyn Nets/Phoenix Suns Bradley Beal $43,279,250 Washington Wizards Giannis Antetokounmpo $42,492,492 Milwaukee Bucks Paul George Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard Los Angeles Clippers Damian Lillard Portland Trail Blazers Klay Thompson $40,600,080 Golden State Warriors Kyrie Irving $39,060,807 Brooklyn Nets/Dallas Mavericks
2021–2022 Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $45,780,966 Golden State Warriors James Harden $44,310,840 Brooklyn Nets/Philadelphia 76ers John Wall Houston Rockets Russell Westbrook $44,211,146 Los Angeles Lakers Kevin Durant $42,018,900 Brooklyn Nets LeBron James $41,180,544 Los Angeles Lakers Giannis Antetokounmpo $39,344,900 Milwaukee Bucks Paul George Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard Los Angeles Clippers Damian Lillard Portland Trail Blazers
2020–2021 Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $43,006,362 Golden State Warriors Chris Paul $41,358,814 Phoenix Suns Russell Westbrook Washington Wizards James Harden $41,254,920 Houston Rockets/Brooklyn Nets John Wall Houston Rockets Kevin Durant $40,108,950 Brooklyn Nets LeBron James $39,219,566 Los Angeles Lakers Paul George $35,450,412 Los Angeles Clippers Klay Thompson $35,361,360 Golden State Warriors Mike Conley $34,502,132 Utah Jazz
2019–2020 Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $40,231,758 Golden State Warriors Chris Paul $38,506,482 Oklahoma City Thunder Russell Westbrook Houston Rockets Kevin Durant $38,199,000 Brooklyn Nets James Harden Houston Rockets John Wall Washington Wizards LeBron James $37,436,858 Los Angeles Lakers Kyle Lowry $34,996,296 Toronto Raptors Blake Griffin $34,449,964 Detroit Pistons Paul George $33,005,556 Los Angeles Clippers
2010s
2018–2019 Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $37,457,154 Golden State Warriors Russell Westbrook $35,665,000 Oklahoma City Thunder Chris Paul $35,654,150 Houston Rockets LeBron James $35,654,150 Los Angeles Lakers Kyle Lowry $32,700,000 Toronto Raptors Blake Griffin $31,873,932 Detroit Pistons Gordon Hayward $31,214,295 Boston Celtics James Harden $30,570,000 Houston Rockets Paul George $30,560,700 Oklahoma City Thunder Mike Conley Jr. $30,521,115 Memphis Grizzlies
2017–2018 Player Salary Team Stephen Curry $34,682,550 Golden State Warriors LeBron James $33,285,709 Cleveland Cavaliers Paul Millsap $30,769,231 Denver Nuggets Gordon Hayward $29,727,900 Boston Celtics Blake Griffin $29,512,900 Los Angeles Clippers/Detroit Pistons Kyle Lowry $28,903,704 Toronto Raptors Mike Conley Jr. $28,530,608 Memphis Grizzlies Russell Westbrook $28,299,399 Oklahoma City Thunder James Harden $28,299,399 Houston Rockets DeMar DeRozan $27,739,975 Toronto Raptors
2016–2017