Who are the NBA’s top-10 paid players on and off the court?
Whether were talking about football, baseball or soccer, it goes without saying that the biggest talents earn the biggest salaries, but the money in basketball is a whole other ball game.
From top to bottom and bottom to top, the kinds of figures these guys are making are dizzying to say the least. At any rate, join us for a break down of the top 10 highest paid players in the NBA.
NBA Stars are the biggest earners in sports
When it comes to social media followings, it’s clear that basketball’s top players can’t match their counterparts from the world of soccer; compared with the NFL’s elite, their TV audiences are but a fraction and as the cherry on top, their CBA limits contract lengths to five years, such that you don’t ever see the $300 million contracts of MLB. Yet make no mistake, where annual earnings are concerned, the boys in the NBA are rolling in the proverbial dough.
To be clear, the 10 highest-paid basketball players will earn more than $850 million this coming season in salary and endorsements. To put that in perspective, their soccer equivalents will rake in around $755 million) those in NFL $675 million and the top tier players in MLB, $541 million. Where do these mega earnings come from? In addition to their massive salaries, there are also extremely lucrative sponsorship deals - primarily from sneaker companies with both strong national and international reach. Indeed, endorsements count for almost 40% of that annual figure mentioned above.
Who are the Top 10 highest paid players in the NBA?
While the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry won’t come as any surprise on this list, you might find it surprising to see players such as Paul George and John Wall rounding out the count. Yet, it’s got to be said that once again a combination of shrewd moves and clever endorsement negotiation has seen both become top earners in the league. With no further adieu, let’s get into it.
1. LeBron James - Los Angeles Lakers: $119.5 million annually
Salary: $44.5 million - Endorsements: $75 million - Age: 37
As mentioned before, when it comes to social media followers, the NBA’s stars can’t compete, but James’ 133 million fans on Instagram is no small number and is actually three times what Curry can boast. One move that saw his bank account grow, was when he moved his uninterrupted talk show, ‘The Shop: Uninterrupted,’ from HBO to YouTube this year. Needless to say the figures involved weren’t slight.
2. Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors: $93.1 million annually
Salary/bonus: $48.1 million - Endorsements: $45 million - Age: 34
With Under Armor leading the way, Curry is perhaps one of the best examples of how endorsements can boost annual earning. To be clear, the Warriors star has got 10. Incidentally, Curry actually won an Oscar this year for his involvement as an executive producer of a short documentary called “Queen of Basketball.” Following that off the court success, he went on to win his fourth NBA title with Golden State and was voted NBA Finals MVP. This is all to say that Curry definitely increased his value. Most recently, the 3-point king completed his college degree at Davidson, 13 years after leaving the institution. It’s interesting to note, that though he’s not the highest earner annually, Curry’s salary sits at No. 1
3. Kevin Durant - Brooklyn Nets: $91 million annually
Salary: $43 million - Endorsements: $48 million - Age: 34
KD is another expected entry on this list. The former league MVP has endorsements has endorsement deals with Nike, NBA 2K, Coinbase, Dapper Labs, Call of Duty, Weedmaps and FanDuel. That says nothing of his media company, which has expanded with Boardroom.TV and projects on Showtime and Apple TV+. Indeed, Durant has demonstrated a business savvy that few others on this list can match. The venture capital arm of his 35V company, has more than 75 investments, including many in the sports world. Those include clubs such as Athletes Unlimited, Gotham FC, League One Volleyball, Philadelphia Union and Premier Lacrosse League. Truthfully, the fact that Durant makes more in endorsements than he does in salary, should tell you all you need to know.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks: $86.5 million annually
Salary: $42.5 million - Endorsements: $44 million - Age: 27
With more than 15 endorsements under his belt, the two-time NBA MVP recently released the 4th model of his signature sneaker with Nike, the Zoom Freak 4. The move followed an announcement earlier this year which confirmed that Giannis is now WhatsApp’s first global ambassador. Most recently - September gone - the Bucks star alongside the universally popular messaging app, released a 12-minute film that chronicles Antetokounmpo’s journey from the streets of Greece to the bright lights and courts of the NBA. We should also mention, that not too long ago he bought shares in fellow Milwaukee side, the Brewers.
5. Russell Westbrook - Los Angeles Lakers: $72.1 million annually
Salary: $47.1 million - Endorsements: $25 million - Age: 33
Despite the intense speculation surrounding his future and the equally fierce criticism that he’s received of late, the Lakers guard continues to be one of the league’s top earners. With endorsements from the likes of Nike’s Jordan Brand and Hennessy, Westbrook also has his own portfolio of businesses which include RW Digital and a fashion brand, Honor the Gift. Interestingly, Westbrook also owns several car dealerships in southern California which bare his name In addition, Westbrook has more than a half-dozen car dealerships in southern California that carry his name.
6. Klay Thompson - Golden State Warriors: $61.6 million annually
Salary: $40.6 million - Endorsements: $21 million - Age: 32
The last two years for Curry’s fellow ‘Splash Brother’ have been injury plagued. With both knee and Achilles injuries to contend with, Thompson was only able to play 32 games last season. On the other hand, he was part of a title winning run and on the side, managed to land a new endorsement deal with Mountain Dew. This coming season will mark the last year of his current five-year $190 million contract with the Warriors.
7. Damian Lillard - Portland Trail Blazers: $59.5 million annually
Salary: $42.5 million - Endorsements: $17 million - Age: 32
As the franchise player of Portland, Lillard signed a two-year extension with the Trail Blazers just this July gone. With that, he will be with the team through to the 2026-27 season and will earn a reported $63.3 million in that final year. With endorsements deals that include Adidas, Bose, Gatorade, Hulu, Modelo, Oakley and Tissot, Portland’s point guard hasn’t done badly for himself at all.
8. James Harden - Philadelphia 76ers: $52 million annually
Salary: $33 million - Endorsements: $19 million - Age: 33
After a less than stellar season with the 76ers, which followed a controversial move from the Brooklyn Nets, the 2017-18 NBA MVP actually declined the final year of his contract - worth $47.4 million - and even agreed to a pay cut. Where that cut is concerned, Harden has put pen to paper on a two year contract that will pay $33 million this season and includes a $35.6 million player option for year two. To be clear, the ‘team first’ star is definitely not hurting for cash. Indeed, Harden pocketed a payout of more than $15 million as an early endorser and stakeholder in BodyArmor when Coca-Cola bought the sports drink brand for $8 billion in 2021.
9. Paul George - Los Angeles Clippers: $51 million annually
Salary: $42.5 million - Endorsements: $8.5 million - Age: 32
It was a tough year for the Clippers star. Derailed by injuries, George could only muster 31 games this last campaign, however, with Kawhi Leonard back in the mix, many are betting on the Clippers to make a run for the NBA title. Where his endorsements are concerned, George has deals with Nike, Crypto.com, Chime, American Express, Recur and Therabody.
10. John Wall - Los Angeles Clippers: $47.9 million annually
Salary: $47.4 million - Endorsements: $500,000 - Age: 32
During the 2021-22 NBA season, Wall did not appear in a single game for the Houston Rockets, as the club attempted a complete rebuild of the roster. Indeed, Wall would even open up about his mental health. Eventually, the summer rolled around and Wall and the Rockets reached an agreement on the buyout of his final year of what was a four year, $171 million contract. Ultimately, Wall accepted a $6.5 million cut and then packed his bags and left. A two-year deal was then signed with the Clippers to the tune of $13.3 million. Interestingly, Wall’s annual salary is second only to Curry.