The 50 highest-paid NBA players in 2024

Aside from the small contracts signed in the final days of preseason, next season’s salary list is already pretty set, which makes now a good time to see who will be the highest-paid guy. With salaries rising like gas prices, the numbers used in the NBA are increasingly surprising, but it’s no surprise who tops the list for another year in a row.

We reached 50 million

Stephen Curry has been the highest-paid person in the league since the 17-18 season, and this is still the case this time. There is a small incentive to his contract this season, though, as the point guard becomes the first player to earn $50 million a year.

To be more precise, the Warriors will receive $51.9 million in this class, a number that will continue to grow over the next few years until their current contract ends in 2026. In fact, spoiler alertAlthough this agreement is still in effect, no one will make more than Steph, who will continue to lead the list with salaries of 55.8 and 59.6 million respectively.

Ranking second this time is Kevin Durant, who climbed to third from fourth last year, with LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic tied for third. The two centers, who have shared the last three MVP awards, have taken a major leap at the position with the new contracts they signed a few months ago, which take effect this season, and are finally considered elite players on a salary scale as well. . NBA.

Durant’s new teammate Bradley Beal occupies the sixth spot with one of the most questionable contracts in the league, while the next two spots belong to Clippers star duo Paul George. Paul George) and Kawhi Leonard, the difference between them is a ridiculous (for them) 81 euros. Rounding out the top 10 are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who are also tied, but the Portland Trail Blazers certainly won’t be paying them much of the $45.6 million.

upstart

We found 7 players on the roster whose performance has declined compared to last year, most of whom were young guys who were under contract to play through the 22-23 season last season. rookie They will receive their first big paychecks this year. That’s the case with big-name stars from the 2019 draft, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and Darius Garland, who signed max extensions that will net them $34 million , and Jordan Poole is only the fourth person in this generation to reach this level. The top 50, in his case, has 27.9 million.

However, that’s not the only way to get on the list. Domantas Sabonis took a major leap after renegotiating his contract with the Kings, while Jerami Grant quietly joined after re-signing. The most high-profile example, however, is Fred VanVleet, who jumped to No. 14 with a new salary of $40 million per year, taking advantage of Houston having cap space and eagerness to fill it. .

waterfall

But this change is certainly not positive for everyone. In order for a new player to get onto the top-paid roster, someone else has to leave that roster, and no one has done that at a position as high as Russell Westbook. Only Stephen Curry made more than the current Clippers point guard last year, and his salary has increased from 47 million to 3.8 million. He is no longer considered to have one of the worst contracts in the league, entering into questions about whether he should be Count as one of the arguments. the best.

The less sudden but notable fall from D’Angelo Russell and Andrew Wiggins, who made less than he did last year after a poor playoff performance There was a loss of 14 million, and Andrew Wiggins also dropped from 33 million to 24 million, leaving the list. Al Horford gave the Celtics a fairly generous contract extension, in which his salary was reduced by 18 million.

Suns, most appearances

As for teams, Phoenix is ​​the team with the most spots in the top 50, with as many as four players, two of whom are in the top six. We find three players in Golden State, Milwaukee, Denver, Boston, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia. However, if the former ends up acquiring Lillard and the latter lets go of Harden, things could change for the latter two.

On the other hand, there are five teams absent, namely the Pistons, Pacers, Magic, Spurs and Jazz. They are all young teams and the big-name stars have not yet had time to get salaries that are in line with their true levels.

Highest-paid NBA players in 2024

Here is a list of the 50 highest-paid NBA players in 2024, including their salary (in dollars) and their team.

On our website you can access a profile containing the NBA’s highest-paid players since the 1984-85 season.

Data comes from ESPN and Spotrac. The NBA does not disclose player salaries.