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 Right Now?
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 are the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, who will both make $55.2 million this year.
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 40 Highest-Paid NBA Players – 2025-26 Season
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 Embiid, Jokic, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler III are making the most of any players in the league. Including those players, 16 NBAers currently make more than $50 million per year. Last year’s NBA MVP, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is also on the list, bringing home $38.3 million.
Here’s a look at the top 40 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 | Position | Team | 2025-26 Salary |
| 1 | Stephen Curry | Point Guard | Golden State Warriors | $59.6M |
| 2 | Joel Embiid | Center | Philadelphia 76ers | $55.2M |
| 3 | Nikola Jokic | Center | Denver Nuggets | $55.2M |
| 4 | Kevin Durant | Power Forward | Houston Rockets | $54.7M |
| 5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Power Forward | Milwaukee Bucks | $54.1M |
| 6 | Luka Doncic | Point Guard | Los Angeles Lakers | $54.1M |
| 7 | Jimmy Butler III | Small Forward | Golden State Warriors | $54.1M |
| 8 | Anthony Davis | Power Forward | Dallas Mavericks | $54.1M |
| 9 | Jayson Tatum | Small Forward | Boston Celtics | $54.1M |
| 10 | Bradley Beal | Shooting Guard | LA Clippers | $53.7M |
| 11 | Devin Booker | Shooting Guard | Phoenix Suns | $53.1M |
| 12 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Center | New York Knicks | $53.1M |
| 13 | Jaylen Brown | Shooting Guard | Boston Celtics | $53.1M |
| 14 | LeBron James | Small Forward | Los Angeles Lakers | $52.6M |
| 15 | Paul George | Forward | Philadelphia 76ers | $51.7M |
| 16 | Kawhi Leonard | Small Forward | LA Clippers | $50M |
| 17 | Zach LaVine | Shooting Guard | Sacramento Kings | $47.5M |
| 18 | Lauri Markkanen | Power Forward | Utah Jazz | $46.4M |
| 19 | Cade Cunningham | Point Guard | Detroit Pistons | $46.4M |
| 20 | Jamal Murray | Point Guard | Denver Nuggets | $46.4M |
| 21 | Evan Mobley | Power Forward | Cleveland Cavaliers | $46.4M |
| 22 | Donovan Mitchell | Shooting Guard | Cleveland Cavaliers | $46.4M |
| 23 | Trae Young | Point Guard | Atlanta Hawks | $46M |
| 24 | Anthony Edwards | Shooting Guard | Minnesota Timberwolves | $45.6M |
| 25 | Tyrese Haliburton | Point Guard | Indiana Pacers | $45.6M |
| 26 | Pascal Siakam | Power Forward | Indiana Pacers | $45.6M |
| 27 | Domantas Sabonis | Power Forward | Sacramento Kings | $43.6M |
| 28 | OG Anunoby | Small Forward | New York Knicks | $39.6M |
| 29 | Ja Morant | Point Guard | Memphis Grizzlies | $39.4M |
| 30 | Darius Garland | Point Guard | Cleveland Cavaliers | $39.4M |
| 31 | Zion Williamson | Power Forward | New Orleans Pelicans | $39.4M |
| 32 | James Harden | Shooting Guard | LA Clippers | $39.2M |
| 33 | Scottie Barnes | Small Forward | Toronto Raptors | $38.7M |
| 34 | Franz Wagner | Small Forward | Orlando Magic | $38.7M |
| 35 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Point Guard | Oklahoma City Thunder | $38.3M |
| 36 | Michael Porter Jr. | Forward | Brooklyn Nets | $38.3M |
| 37 | Brandon Ingram | Small Forward | Toronto Raptors | $38.1M |
| 38 | LaMelo Ball | Point Guard | Charlotte Hornets | $38M |
| 39 | Tyrese Maxey | Point Guard | Philadelphia 76ers | $38M |
| 40 | De’Aaron Fox | Point Guard | San Antonio Spurs | $37.1M |
Which Teams Have the Highest Number of Top-Paid Players in the NBA in 2025?
In 2025-26, the Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers each tie for first when it comes to having the highest number of players in the top 40 highest paid players in the NBA.
The Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors all have more than one player on the list. Notably, of those teams, only the Raptors did not make the 2024-25 postseason.
The Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards do not have any players in the top 40.
What’s the Average NBA Salary in 2025?
The NBA has the highest average salary of any major U.S. sport at an estimated $14.1 million in the 2025-26 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 $1.2 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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