Which NBA teams will spend more money on salaries in the 2022-23 season?
A look at the highest spending NBA Teams this season and the players getting the most out of this money
Unlike the NHL and NFL, the NBA features a so-called soft cap where teams can exceed the threshold set by the league, due to several significant exceptions. As a result, most teams are more or less permanently over the salary cap.
With the cap of the looming 2022-23 season set at $123.655 million, several teams have already exceeded it, starting with the infamous Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.
Related: What is the NBA luxury tax? Which team pays the most in luxury tax?
Warriors making it rain
The Warriors have been the highest-spending team over the last five years, and with a significant amount. They went over the cap and paid the luxury tax each of those five years, spending roughly $757 million over that span.
This season, the San Francisco-based team are at a league-high $170.2 million tax bill and counting after acquiring their latest player addition Saturday, Jordan Poole with a $140 million extension. Additionally, Andrew Wiggins signed his own four-year, $109 million contract with the team. These additions massively increase their salary costs.
Across the league, there are 10 NBA players scheduled to make over $40 million in on-court salary in 2022-23, in addition to 41 players slated to make over $30 million. Let’s take a look at what teams possess to spend, and a list of the highest-paid NBA players of 2022-23:
Related: Warriors luxury tax after Poole, Higgins contracts
Big money in the NBA
The Warriors already have some of the highest-paid players in the league in their roster, with Steph Curry raking in the top annual salary in the NBA with a rate of $51.9 million, and Klay Thompson ranking tenth in the league, receiving a $43.2 million paycheck each year.
As per NBA insider Bobby Marks’ calculations, the Warriors could pass the $500 million mark if Draymond Green ends up staying with Golden State.
Overall, the Warriors have an active payroll of $193,374,102 to spend on their players, just ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, who have $192,300,549.
While two of the Los Angeles Lakers players make the top three list of highest salaries, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, it is the Brooklyn Nets who follow closely in third place, with $187,611,872 payroll. Their superstar Kevin Durant sits in the top five players with the highest salary this season.
Related: Who are the NBA’s top-10 paid players on and off the court?
The Milwaukee Bucks come next with a payroll amount of $181,722,210.
Highest-paid NBA Players by Total Salary
- Warriors PG Stephen Curry: $45,780,966
- Lakers PG Russell Westbrook: $47,063,478
- Lakers SF LeBron James: $44,474,988
- Wizards SG Bradley Beal: $43,279,250
- Nets SF Kevin Durant: $42,969,845
- Clippers SG/SF Paul George: $42,492,568
- Bucks PF Giannis Antetokounmpo: $42,492,492
- Trail Blazers PG Damian Lillard: $42,492,492 (tied for 7)
- Clippers SF Kawhi Leonard: $42,492,492 (tied for 7)
- Warriors SG Klay Thompson: $40,600,080