Who Are the Highest Paid Players in the NBA This Season?
The NBA pays its players more than any other professional sports league in the world, as the average salary for an NBA player comes in at a whopping $9.7 million per season.
Even though some of the lesser-known players don’t bring in nearly as much as their superstar counterparts, the fact remains that the NBA, which continues to grow in popularity, is paying more than it ever has before.
Who are the highest-paid NBA players for the 2024-2025 season?
Some of the names on this list probably won’t surprise you. Learn more about which players are bringing in the most money for the NBA 2024-2025 season.
Please note, the figures discussed here only represent the players’ contracts with their NBA teams. Endorsements and other outside sources of income are not accounted for. With that said, let’s dive into the list of the highest paid players in the NBA.
Steph Curry: Golden State Warriors
$55,761,216
Arguably the best pure shooter the NBA has ever seen, Curry has spent his entire career in Golden State where he has led the team to four NBA Championships in six appearances.
It comes as no surprise that the Warriors spent whatever necessary to keep Curry in the Bay Area for the rest of his career.
This season is going to be a bit interesting for Curry, as he’ll be without Klay Thompson, the other half of the “Splash Brothers” for the first time after Thompson signed with Dallas in the offseason.
Joel Embiid: Philadelphia 76ers
$51,415,938
The extension that Joel Embiid signed with the 76ers to keep him in Philly through the 2028 season also made him the second-highest paid player in the league this year.
Embiid was selected with the third overall draft pick in the 2014 draft, but missed his first two seasons due to injury. After making his debut in 2016, Embiid put his stamp on the league and has become a perennial all-star, and even won the 2022-2023 league MVP award.
The 76ers spent years telling fans to “trust the process” as they rebuilt the team, and the Embiid contract has proven to be the most important part of that process.
Nikola Jokic: Denver Nuggets
$51,415,938
Nikola Jokic is only 29, but has largely cemented his position as the best player in the history of the Denver Nuggets after leading the team to its first NBA Championship in 2023.
Jokic has also won the NBA MVP Award three times in his career, and has been named to six all-star teams. Though Denver drafted him second overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Jokic spent the following season playing in the professional league in his home country.
Since coming to the NBA, he’s more than proved his worth as one of the most versatile players in the league. It’s certainly no wonder that he and Embiid are tied near the top of the list of the highest paid NBA players.
Kevin Durant: Phoenix Suns
$51,179,021
Kevin Durant has bounced around the league a lot since being drafted by the now-defunct Seattle Supersonics in 2007. Now, entering his 17th season in the league, Durant is entering his third season with the Phoenix Suns.
Unlike some of the other names atop this list, Durant’s contract expires after next season, and he has already made it known that he’s unlikely to sign an extension.
Instead, Durant, who is currently the fourth-highest paid player in the league, is expected to test the free agent waters once again. Until then, he’ll bring in more than $51 million this season and will make $54 million in the last year of his deal.
Bradley Beal: Phoenix Suns
$50,203,930
Bradley Beal spent the first 10 years of his career with the Washington Wizards, the team that drafted him third overall out of the University of Florida.
Over the second half of his run in Washington, Beal was the focus of trade rumors virtually every year, until the team finally moved on.
Unfortunately, Beal’s contract is considered one of the worst in the league, but the Suns still brought him in to complete their “Big 3” alongside Durant and Devin Booker. Beal’s contract runs through the 2026-2027 season, and increases both years, making it unlikely that the Suns will be able to move him anytime soon.
Kawhi Leonard: Los Angeles Clippers
$49,350,000
Some basketball fans are surprised to see Kawhi Leonard so high on the list of highest paid NBA players, but since coming into the league in 2011, Leonard has put together a stellar career that includes a pair of NBA Championships, a pair of Defensive Player of the Year trophies, and six all-star appearances.
Leonard is in the first year of a three-year deal that he signed with the Clippers this season. Since he’ll be 35 when the deal expires, it’s safe to assume that this may be the last stop of his illustrious NBA career as he tries to get the Clips their first NBA Championship in franchise history.
Devin Booker: Phoenix Suns
$49,205,800
The Phoenix Suns are the only team in the league that has three players at the top of the list of highest paid players in the NBA. Now entering his 10th season in the league, Booker has spent his entire career with the Suns, and is widely considered one of the better shooters in the league.
With four all-star appearances on his resume, along with two appearances on the All-NBA team, Booker has certainly earned the money that the Suns paid him.
With Durant getting a bit older and Beal’s contract continuing to raise eyebrows, it’s safe to assume that the next chapter of the Suns’ story will revolve around Booker.
Paul George: Philadelphia 76ers
$49,205,800
Paul George is in the first year of a four-year deal that he signed in July 2024 to make the move from the Los Angeles Clippers to the 76ers, where he’ll play alongside Joel Embiid as Philly looks to take over the East.
The length and value of the contract certainly raised some eyebrows, as George is already 34 years old, but Philly is confident that George has a few years left in him, and they made the move to get Embiid a legitimate running mate.
George is coming off back-to-back all-star appearances, and has been on the All-NBA team six times in his career. In what will likely be the last stop of his career, George looks to get the one thing that has eluded him throughout his career: a championship.
Karl-Anthony Towns: New York Knicks
$49,205,800
Karl-Anthony Towns opened the 2024-2025 NBA season on a new team for the first time in his career, as the Minnesota Timberwolves shipped the former first-overall pick (2015) to the Big Apple in exchange for Julius Randle.
The move came as a shock to the entire basketball world, as Towns had built a great resume in his time in Minnesota, but was unable to lead the team to a title.
Towns’ contract runs through 2028, and the Knicks hope that the former Rookie of the Year can be the missing piece as they look to knock off the Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy.
Jaylen Brown: Boston Celtics
$49,205,800
The 2024-2025 NBA season is the first year of Brown’s new contract with the Boston Celtics, the team that took him third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Brown has made three all-star appearances, but his greatest accomplishment came last season when he led the Boston Celtics back to the top of the NBA, as they won an NBA Championship.
Brown was named the Finals MVP after a stellar series that saw him cement his position as one of the best young players in the league. Brown won’t be leaving Bean Town anytime soon, as his current contract runs through the 2028-2029 season.
How Much Money is LeBron James Making This Season?
No list of NBA players would be complete without mentioning LeBron James. At the beginning of his 22nd season, James is the oldest player in the league, having come into the NBA straight out of high school when the Cleveland Cavaliers took him first overall in 2003.
James is making $48,728,845 this season, which puts him 14th on the list of highest-paid NBA players.
In what may be his last season in the league (though no announcement has been made), James and his son, Bronny, became the first father and sun duo to play together when they both took the court during the Lakers’ first game of the season.