NBA stars, such as Stephen Curry or Lebron James, apart from leading their teams, occupy the first places in the economic ranking. Their seasonal salaries are astronomical.
The players of the best basketball league on the planet, sign long-term contracts, usually with a high number of millions of dollars to be charged for each season, depending on the relevance of their figure. But who leads this ranking? Let’s find out.
LeBron James
- Contract: 2 years, $97,100,000
- Average annual value: $48,600,000
At 37 years young, LeBron is still dominating the league like it’s nobody’s business. With that being said, he knows that Father Time is ticking away and his body won’t be able to keep up forever.
On the other hand, in 2024, his son Bronny James could potentially join the NBA draft. As you may know, The King loves playing with family (just look at him and Dwyane Wade), so we bet he will do everything in his power to retain his NBA odds at the highest and play alongside him.
With a contract extension worth almost 100 million bucks over two years alone, LeBron is making bank as one of basketball’s top players. And off-court? Don’t even get us started on how marketable this guy is. It seems like every other commercial has LeBron James ending up in some more earnings.
Kevin Durant
- Contract: 4 years, $194,250,000
- Average annual value: $48,500,000
In 2021, KD signed an appealing contract extension for over $194 million spanning four seasons. Even though he could have waited for free agency and earned even more cash, the two-time NBA Finals MVP decided to stick with the Nets after initially wanting to bounce.
At 33, Durant still has his game. Along with Kyrie Irving, he is determined to take the team all the way up and win their first-ever NBA championship. And almost $49 million per year salary from the Nets means they expect nothing less than a top-notch performance. If these guys bring home that title, it’ll be worth every penny spent.
Jimmy Butler
- Contract: 3 years, $146,400,000
- Average annual value: $48,800,000
Last summer, Butler scored big time with the Heat. He signed a three-year deal worth $146.40 million. And without any doubt he did live up to expectations in the 2021-22 season. Jimmy was a driving force and led his squad all the way to the number one spot in the Eastern Conference. With an average of 21.4 points per game, along with almost six rebounds and over five assists per game too.
Sadly though, Jimmy Butler will be 36 by the end of his current contract. And those massive paychecks of nearly $49 million per year could start weighing heavy on the Heat if he starts slacking off. However, if he can help lead Miami to take home that coveted NBA Championship during his time here, the investment would have been more than worthwhile after all.
Nikola Jokic
- Contract: 5 years, $264,000,000
- Average annual value: $52,800,000
Nikola Jokic, the current top player in the NBA, has delivered two remarkable seasons from a statistical perspective, earning him back-to-back MVP honors. In fact, these seasons are among the best in modern league history, underscoring his immense talent and contributions to his team.
Now, when it comes to cash money, Nikola’s got it all figured out. He signed a five-year contract worth $264 million, which breaks down to about $53 million per year. It’s safe to say that he’s worth every penny because this contract is actually the biggest one in league history. Plus, for the 2027-28 season alone, Jokic is set to bring home a whopping $60 million.
Joel Embiid
- Contract: 4 years, $196,000,000
- Average annual value: $49,000,000
Embiid started out his NBA career sitting on the sidelines with a foot injury for two seasons. But now, he bounced back and totally crushed it. Joel is widely considered one of the top names in the league, earning the highest salaries like crazy. Last season, he rocked it as the best scorer in the entire NBA by averaging a whopping 30.6 points per game, plus almost 12 rebounds, and over 4 assists.
Many people even say that Embiid is as dominant as Shaquille O’Neal used to be back when things were simpler. In Aug. 2021, they handed him a massive signing bonus. Plus, his contract adds up to roughly $196 million over four years – which boils down to nearly $50 million per year on average.
Steph Curry
- Contract: 4 years, $215,350,000
- Average annual value: $53,830,000
Steph Curry just locked down a new 4-year contract worth $215.35 million. So he is going to be banking an average of nearly $55 million per season.
People might be wondering what all this money means for the Golden State Warriors in the long run though. As Steph’s salary continues to climb, there could be some potential problems down the line since it will consume almost $60 million of their cap by 2025-26. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As for now, we can agree that Curry has more than earned his keep on and off the court.
He leads his team like a boss and has taken them to the NBA Finals six times in eight seasons. That kind of domination is not easy to achieve, but Curry makes it look effortless with his skills and determination.
