Entering the 2024-25 season, the NBA will see five players earn salaries in excess of $50 million. Leading the list is superstar Stephen Curry , who will receive an estimated $55.8 million from the Golden State Warriors.
Along with Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets are tied for second place with $51.4 million each. Phoenix Suns duo Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal pocketed $51.2 and $50.2 million respectively, becoming the only pair of NBA teammates this season to earn over $50 million each.
Below is a list of the top 10 highest-paid players for the 2024-25 season according to Spotrac statistics:
| Class | Player | Wage | Team |
| 1 | Stephen Curry | $55.8 million | Golden State Warriors |
| 2 | Joel Embiid | $51.4 million | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Nikola Jokic | $51.4 million | Denver Nuggets | |
| 4 | Kevin Durant | $51.2 million | Phoenix Suns |
| 5 | Bradley Beal | $50.2 million | |
| 6 | Devin Booker | $49.2 million | |
| Jaylen Brown | $49.2 million | Boston Celtics | |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | $49.2 million | New York Knicks | |
| Kawhi Leonard | $49.2 million | LA Clippers | |
| Paul George | $49.2 million | Philadelphia 76ers |
Not only Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns also have Devin Booker among the highest paid players in the league. So the Suns will have to spend $148 million just for their star trio, a figure that is more than the total salary of some NBA teams.
Aside from the Phoenix Suns, the Philadelphia 76ers are the only other team with two players in the top 10 highest salaries of the season. In addition to the $51.4 million paid to Joel Embiid, the Sixers also have a blockbuster transfer in Paul George ($49.2 million).
Many fans are wondering where LeBron James will rank among the highest-paid players in the NBA next season. According to Spotrac, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar will receive a salary of $48.7 million and will only rank 14th in the NBA in the 2024-25 season.
However, Forbes confirmed that LeBron James had earned nearly $80 million in non-basketball income last year, making him the highest-paid player in the NBA with $128 million.
Each season, the NBA announces its team payroll cap, but very few clubs fall below it. They accept higher salaries to maintain the quality of their roster, in exchange for paying a luxury tax to the league.
For the 2024-25 season, each team’s payroll is $140.6 million. The first penalty bracket is set at $178.1 million and the second penalty bracket is set at $188.9 million.
Besides the teams that spent a lot of money on big stars, the NBA also saw 8 teams that did not have any faces in the top-30 highest-paid players in the 2024-25 season.
These teams include the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
