Top 5 players with the highest guaranteed career earnings in the NBA including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and more
The list of NBA players with the highest career earnings has many superstars who have completely drastically improved their teams. Getting millions in today's NBA is much easier than it was a few decades ago. However, some players have separated themselves from the rest of the league in terms of gross income.
The salary cup has been much higher since 2016, which directly affects how much money players are making. The great Michael Jordan made only $94 million during his impressive career, yet today's stars get that much money in two seasons.
In this article, we will take a look at the five NBA players with the highest career earnings.
5) Bradley Beal - $428,874,362
Bradley Beal is a 10-year NBA veteran who has spent his entire career with the Washington Wizards. Despite not achieving great results in the postseason, Beal has stayed loyal to the team and will try to get them far in the playoffs.
The shooting guard signed a five-year extension worth $251 million this summer, which propelled him to the fifth spot on the list. The 6-foot-4 guard is one of the deadliest scorers in the league when healthy and he is hoping to have a deep playoff run with the Wizards soon.
Beal's contract runs through 2027 and he will be paid $57.1 million in his last season.
4) Damian Lillard - $449,910,157
Damian Lillard is very similar to Bradley Beal. They are both fantastic players who are capable of torching opposing defenses every night, but haven't achieved much success in the playoffs. Lillard and Beal were also drafted in the same year.
Fortunately, both of them are on the list of players with the highest career earnings, so that should mean something.
Lillard has stayed with the Portland Trail Blazers his entire career and this is where he wants to retire. His contract also runs through 2027 and the point guard will receive $63.2 million for his services in its final year.
3) Steph Curry - $470,090,010
It's not surprising that Steph Curry is among the players with the highest career earnings as he's completely changed the game of basketball. He has also led his Golden State Warriors to four championships in the last eight years.
Despite the financial troubles that the Warriors will face in the upcoming years, no one can blame them for signing Curry to a maximum contract. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA.
Curry's contract expires in 2026 and his salary in the final year of it will be $59.6 million. Considering that he will be 38 when the contract expires, we can expect him to retire as a Warrior.
2) Kevin Durant - $498,688,653
Kevin Durant has been one of the most controversial players lately as he requested a trade out of Brooklyn. The superstar has four more years on his contract with the Nets, which is why they don't want to give him up too easily.
Durant's made nearly $500 million in career earnings so far, but there is no doubt that he deserves every cent of it.
The forward's contract expires in 2026 and his final-year salary will be $53.3 million. Similar to Curry, this may be Durant's last big contract in the league as he turns 34 in September.
1) LeBron James' career earnings exceed $528 million
LeBron James recently signed a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $97.1 million. By agreeing to it, the four-time NBA champion has become the leader in NBA career earnings with more than $528 million.
Despite taking several pay cuts during his career, the four-time MVP still manages to become the highest-paid player of all time.
LeBron has a player option in the final year of his contract, which will allow him to potentially opt out of it and sign a new deal. He's been doing this for a long time, which is why he's made a lot more money than the other players on the list.