Highest-paid NBA players by season

The highest-paid NBA players by season has recently eclipsed $40 million. Larry Bird was the first player to earn $5 million or more with a salary of $7,070,000 in the 1991-92 season. Magic Johnson became the first player to earn $10 million or more in the 94-95 season with a salary of $14,660,000. Patrick Ewing became the first player to earn $15 million or more in the 95-96 season with a salary of $18,724,000. Michael Jordan was the first NBA player to sign a contract worth over $20 million and in fact it exceeded $30 million as well in a season (1996-97) and (1997-98) where he earned $33,140,000; this was a record he had held for 30 years. Kobe Bryant became just the second player to reach $30 million when the 2013–14 season began.[1] LeBron James became the third in the 2016–17 season. Stephen Curry became the first player to eclipse $40 million per year when he signed a record 5-year contract worth $201 million in 2017, starting with $34,682,550 in the 2017-18 season and ending with the largest earnings in the 2021-22 season with a record payout of $45,780,966, If his contract continues Curry is expected to be the first player to eclipse $50 million in the (2023-24) season.

Michael Jordan, who earned $33,140,000 in the 1997–98 NBA season, attempts a slam dunk at the old Boston Garden.

Beginning in the 1984–85 NBA season, the NBA's first salary cap was introduced. The NBA salary cap is the maximum dollar amount each NBA team can spend on its players for the season. However, the NBA uses a "soft" salary cap, which means that significant "salary exceptions" allow NBA teams to exceed their allotted amount in order to sign players. The salary cap is determined during the offseason, but as stated earlier, it is liable to change.[2]

An exception is necessary to sign a player for a contract that would exceed the salary cap threshold of the "soft cap". The Larry Bird exception, more commonly known as Bird Rights, allows teams to re-sign a current player only if he has played for that particular team for a minimum of three years.[3] Another exception, known as the mid-level exception, allows for teams that are over the salary cap to sign one or more players as long as they do not exceed the total amount of the average NBA salary.[4] Next, the bi-annual exception can be used by teams every other year to sign a free agent(s) for up to two years at an amount set by the NBA.[5] Finally, the rookie player exception allows any NBA team to sign their first-round draft pick to a contract based upon a scale previously set forth by the NBA. Another option for teams would be to assign players to a league-assigned minimum salary contract for a maximum of two years.

According to 2010–11 NBA season game performance, the league's best players were not its highest-paid players. Each year there are ten players selected to one of the two All-NBA Teams. Out of those ten players chosen that year, Kobe Bryant was the only player that was also among the game's ten highest-paid during the 2010–11 NBA season.[6]

Highest-paid player by season
Year Player Team Salary
1984–85 Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers $2,500,000
1985–86 $2,500,000
1986–87 $2,500,000
1987–88 Patrick Ewing New York Knicks $2,750,000
1988–89 $3,250,000
1989–90 $3,750,000
1990–91 $4,250,000
1991–92 Larry Bird Boston Celtics $7,070,000
1992–93 David Robinson San Antonio Spurs $5,720,000
1993–94 $5,740,000
1994–95 Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers $14,660,000
1995–96 Patrick Ewing New York Knicks $18,724,000
1996–97 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls $30,140,000
1997–98 $33,140,000
1998–99 Patrick Ewing New York Knicks $18,500,000
1999–2000 Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers $17,142,000
2000–01 Kevin Garnett Minnesota Timberwolves $19,600,000
2001–02 $22,400,000
2002–03 $25,200,000
2003–04 $28,000,000
2004–05 Shaquille O'Neal Miami Heat $27,696,430
2005–06 $20,000,000
2006–07 Kevin Garnett Minnesota Timberwolves $21,000,000
2007–08 Boston Celtics $23,751,934
2008–09 $24,751,934
2009–10 Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers $23,034,375
2010–11 $24,806,250
2011–12 $25,244,493
2012–13 $30,453,805
2013–14 $30,453,805
2014–15 $23,500,000
2015–16 $25,000,000
2016–17 LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers $30,963,450
2017–18 Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors $34,682,550
2018–19 $37,457,154
2019–20 $40,231,758
2020–21 $43,006,362
Upcoming Seasons (including Player Options)
2021–22 Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors $45,780,966
2022–23 $48,070,014
2023–24 $51,915,615
2024–25 $55,761,216
2025–26 $59,606,817

Highest career earners
Rank Player Start End Salary
1 LeBron James 2003–04 Present $343,863,770
2 Kevin Garnett 1995–96 2015–16 $334,304,240
3 Kobe Bryant 1996–97 2015–16 $323,312,307
4 Chris Paul 2005–06 Present $299,909,419
5 Shaquille O'Neal 1992–93 2010–11 $286,344,668
6 Kevin Durant 2007–08 Present $264,153,846
7 Carmelo Anthony 2003–04 Present $259,881,402
8 Dirk Nowitzki 1998–99 2018–19 $251,646,362
9 Russell Westbrook 2008–09 Present $244,370,524
10 Dwight Howard 2004–05 Present $242,500,792
Updated through 2020–21 NBA season
Rank Player Start End Salary
1 LeBron James 2003–04 Present $429,519,302
2 Paul George 2010–11 Present $354,120,076
3 Kevin Durant 2007–08 Present $350,101,596
4 Chris Paul 2005–06 Present $344,120,565
5 Russell Westbrook 2008–09 Present $335,645,148
6 Giannis Antetokounmpo 2013–14 Present $335,200,796
7 Damian Lillard 2012–13 Present $328,136,432
8 James Harden 2009–10 Present $316,027,334
9 Anthony Davis 2012–13 Present $309,827,834
10 Rudy Gobert 2013–14 Present $307,690,342
Updated through end of All Current Contracts, as of 2020-21

2020s

2021–2022
Stephen Curry is currently the highest-paid NBA player.
Player [7]SalaryTeam
Stephen Curry$45,780,966Golden State Warriors
James Harden$44,310,840Brooklyn Nets/Philadelphia 76ers
John Wall$44,310,840Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook$44,211,146Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James$41,180,544Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant$40,918,900Brooklyn Nets
Paul George$39,344,900Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard$39,344,900Los Angeles Clippers
Damian Lillard$39,344,900Portland Trail Blazers
Giannis Antetokounmpo$39,344,900Milwaukee Bucks

2010s

2016–2017
LeBron James became the third player to sign a contract worth over thirty million dollars in a season, after Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Player [12]SalaryTeam
LeBron James$30,963,450Cleveland Cavaliers
Al Horford$26,540,100Boston Celtics
DeMar DeRozan$26,540,100Toronto Raptors
James Harden$26,540,100Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant$26,540,100Golden State Warriors
Russell Westbrook$26,540,100Oklahoma City Thunder
Mike Conley Jr.$26,540,100Memphis Grizzlies
Dirk Nowitzki$25,000,000Dallas Mavericks
Carmelo Anthony$24,559,380New York Knicks
Damian Lillard$24,328,425Portland Trail Blazers

2015–2016
Kobe Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year career in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, was the highest-paid player in the league from the 2009–10 until his retirement at the conclusion of the 2015–16 season.
Player [13]SalaryTeam
Kobe Bryant$25,000,000Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James$22,970,500Cleveland Cavaliers
Carmelo Anthony$22,875,000New York Knicks
Dwight Howard$22,359,364Houston Rockets
Chris Bosh$22,192,730Miami Heat
Chris Paul$21,468,695Los Angeles Clippers
Kevin Durant$20,158,622Oklahoma City Thunder
Derrick Rose$20,093,064Chicago Bulls
Dwyane Wade$20,000,000Miami Heat
LaMarcus Aldridge$19,689,000San Antonio Spurs

2000s

2008–2009
Kevin Garnett was the highest-paid player during the 2008–09, 2007–08, and 2006–07 seasons; he relinquished that position to Shaquille O'Neal for two seasons, but was also the highest-paid player during the 2003–04, 2002–03, 2001–02, and 2000–01 seasons.
Player [20]SalaryTeam
Kevin Garnett$24,751,934Boston Celtics
Jason Kidd$21,372,000Dallas Mavericks
Jermaine O'Neal$21,372,000Toronto Raptors
Kobe Bryant$21,262,500Los Angeles Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal$21,000,000Phoenix Suns
Allen Iverson$20,840,625Detroit Pistons
Stephon Marbury$20,840,625Boston Celtics
Tim Duncan$20,598,704San Antonio Spurs
Tracy McGrady$20,370,437Houston Rockets
Ray Allen$18,388,430Boston Celtics

2007–2008
Player [22]SalaryTeam
Kevin Garnett$23,751,934Boston Celtics
Shaquille O'Neal$21,000,000Phoenix Suns
Jason Kidd$19,728,000New Jersey Nets
Jermaine O'Neal$19,728,000Indiana Pacers
Kobe Bryant$19,490,625Los Angeles Lakers
Tim Duncan$19,014,188San Antonio Spurs
Allen Iverson$19,012,500Denver Nuggets
Stephon Marbury$19,012,500New York Knicks
Tracy McGrady$18,257,750Houston Rockets
Baron Davis$16,440,000Golden State Warriors

1990s

1998–1999

See also

References
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