Top 5 highest paid players ahead of 2024-25 NBA season
The NBA season is only a few months away and front offices and general managers have been scrambling to load up their rosters for the 2024-25 season. A championship is always the goal at the start of the season but the demand for top-tier talent has seen salaries skyrocket over the last few years.
LeBron James is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game and recently signed a two-year, $101.35 million extension. The LA Lakers superstar will not rank among the top 10 salaries in 2024-25. Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all lead their teams to a title in the last decade. Those three players all miss out on the top five when it comes to salary.
We take a look at five highest paid players going into the upcoming NBA season
Top 5 highest paid players ahead of 2024-25 NBA season
#5. Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns took a big swing when they traded a handful of picks along with Chris Paul and Landry Shamet to Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal, Jordan Goodwin and Isaiah Todd. Beal was coming off a season where he averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds and was regarded as one of the game's most talented guards.
Beal is set to earn $50.2 million next season and is contracted to the Suns through the 2026-27 season.
#4. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns made their intentions of winning a championship crystal clear when they went all-in on Kevin Durant in 2023. After a disappointing spell with the Brooklyn Nets, Durant was looking for a new project and the Suns were willing to shell out cash for one of the league's elite scorers. He is set to earn a lofty $51.1 million paycheck next season.
The idea of partnering the forward with All-Stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal was too tempting for the Suns organization to resist. All three players will return for the 2024-25 season with Durant looking to lead the Suns to the franchise's first-ever NBA championship.
#3. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
After winning three MVP titles over the last four seasons and leading the Denver Nuggets to their first championship, it comes as no surprise that Nikola Jokic comes in as one of the highest paid players in the league.
Jokic signed a supermax extension worth $276 million over five years that will see him contracted to the Nuggets through the 2028 season. If the Serbian superstar continues to improve at the rate he has, the 51.4 million he is set to earn in 2024-25 will feel like a bargain for Denver.
#2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will earn the exact same amount as Nikola Jokic next season after signing a four-year 213.3 million contract extension with the 76ers in 2022.
The 30-year-old center has developed into one of the most complete players in the NBA since joining the Sixers in 2014 and was rewarded for a series of strong seasons with a colossal new contract.
With the addition of All-Star Paul George this offseason, the 76ers will be hoping that Embiid can guide them to their first NBA title since 1983.
#1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Few could have expected the meteoric rise of Steph Curry when he was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. The 36-year-old point guard has evolved not only into one of the greatest basketball player in the history of the league, but a global icon.
Over his illustrious 15-year career, Curry has won four championships with the Golden State Warriors. He is a two-time league MVP, a 10-time All-Star, an one-time Olympic gold medal winner and was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 2015. The Warriors superstar has made more 3-pointers than any player in NBA history and is considered one of the greatest shooters to ever grace the court.
Curry signed a max contract extension worth $215 million over four years. He is set to earn a whopping $55.7 million in the 2024-25 season making him the highest paid player in the league. That figure is set to jump to $59.6 million for the 2025-26 season.