The NBA, or the National Basketball Association, is among the highest-paid sports leagues in the United States and the entire world. The league features the world’s 2nd top-paid athlete, as well as representing as many as 16 names among the world’s 50 highest-paid sportspersons. You can see that at least 16 NBA players earn over 55 million dollars per year, while 3 of them make even in the 9-digits (over US$100 million). Sportsnile lists out the highest paid NBA player right now in 2026, including the top 10. You may also love to take a look at: NBA Commentators Salary 2026 (Highest-Paid NBA Announcers).
Highest Paid NBA Player Right Now (2026)
| Highest-Paid NBA Player Name | Nationality & Team Name | Overall Yearly Earnings |
| Stephen Curry | United States (Golden State Warriors) | 156 Million US Dollars |
| LeBron James | United States (Los Angeles Lakers) | 133.8 Million US Dollars |
| Kevin Durant | United States (Houston Rockets) | 101.4 Million US Dollars |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Greece (Milwaukee Bucks) | 94.4 Million US Dollars |
| Damian Lillard | United States (Portland Trail Blazers) | 67.5 Million US Dollars |
| Anthony Edwards | United States (Minnesota Timberwolves) | 62.1 Million US Dollars |
| Shai Gilgeous Alexander | Canada (Oklahoma City Thunder) | 61.2 Million US Dollars |
| Joel Embiid | United States (Philadelphia 76ers) | 60.4 Million US Dollars |
| Jimmy Butler | United States (Golden State Warriors) | 59.8 Million US Dollars |
| Luka Doncic | Slovenia (Los Angeles Lakers) | 58.5 Million US Dollars |
| Devin Booker | United States (Phoenix Suns) | 58.3 Million US Dollars |
| Bradley Beal | United States (Los Angeles Clippers) | 58.2 Million US Dollars |
| Nikola Jokic | Serbia (Denver Nuggets) | 57.6 Million US Dollars |
| Kawhi Leonard | United States (Los Angeles Clippers) | 57.3 Million US Dollars |
| Paul George | United States (Philadelphia 76ers) | 56.3 Million US Dollars |
| Jayson Tatum | United States (Boston Celtics) | 55.8 Million US Dollars |
Top 10 Highest Paid NBA Players
This list shows the top 16 Basketball Players in the entire world, counting both salary and endorsement earnings.
| American Athlete Name | Annual Salary & Bonus | Yearly Endorsement Deal |
| Stephen Curry | 56 Million US Dollars | 100 Million US Dollars |
| LeBron James | 48.8 Million US Dollars | 85 Million US Dollars |
| Kevin Durant | 51.4 Million US Dollars | 50 Million US Dollars |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 49.4 Million US Dollars | 45 Million US Dollars |
| Damian Lillard | 49.5 Million US Dollars | 18 Million US Dollars |
| Anthony Edwards | 42.1 Million US Dollars | 20 Million US Dollars |
| Shai Gilgeous Alexander | 36.2 Million US Dollars | 25 Million US Dollars |
| Joel Embiid | 50.4 Million US Dollars | 10 Million US Dollars |
| Jimmy Butler | 48.8 Million US Dollars | 11 Million US Dollars |
| Luka Doncic | 43.5 Million US Dollars | 15 Million US Dollars |
| Devin Booker | 49.3 Million US Dollars | 9 Million US Dollars |
| Bradley Beal | 50.2 Million US Dollars | 8 Million US Dollars |
| Nikola Jokic | 51.6 Million US Dollars | 6 Million US Dollars |
| Kawhi Leonard | 49.3 Million US Dollars | 8 Million US Dollars |
| Paul George | 49.3 Million US Dollars | 7 Million US Dollars |
| Jayson Tatum | 35.8 Million US Dollars | 20 Million US Dollars |
Who makes 60 million a year in the NBA?
America’s highest-paid athlete right now, Steph Curry, makes nearly 60 million US Dollars from his salary and bonuses. He broke the 50-million-dollar salary barrier, being the first-ever NBA star to do so. However, his overall earnings easily go past the 100 million mark. If you are to count the overall yearly earnings, then currently, at least 8 NBA stars make a minimum of 60 million or more. They are:
| Which NBA Stars Make 60m per Year? | NBA Team Name | Overall Earnings Per Year (On+Off Field) |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | US$156 Million |
| LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | US$133.8 Million |
| Kevin Durant | Houston Rockets | US$101.4 Million |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | US$94.4 Million |
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | US$67.5 Million |
| Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | US$62.1 Million |
| Shai Gilgeous Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | US$61.2 Million |
| Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | US$60.4 Million |
Who was the first NBA player to make $1,000,000 a year?
Moses Malone was the first NBA player to earn a million dollars a year in the history of the game. So, it was not Magic Johnson.
Who makes 40 million a year in the NBA?
Considering earnings from both on and off the field, in 2026, the number will be a lot larger. Indeed, even if you just count the on-field payments that are considered only salary and bonus, a high number of NBA stars make it more than 40 million dollars per year at the moment.
Who is the highest paid player in the NBA right now?
You already know the answer if you have taken a look at the chart. It’s none other than the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry. The 38-year-old earned 56 million dollars from salaries and incentives last year, and this year it’s closer to 60 million dollars (0ver US$59m). His total income in 2025 was US$156,000,000, thanks to a whopping 100 million endorsement earnings. LeBron James follows him with an annual income of $133.8 million last year. In terms of salary, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, etc, all earn over 50m dollars a year.
Highest Paid American Basketball Players Overseas
| Top Earning Non-American NBA Players | Nationality & Team Name | Annual Overall Earnings |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Greece (Milwaukee Bucks) | US$94.4 Million |
| Shai Gilgeous Alexander | Canada (Oklahoma City Thunder) | US$61.2 Million |
| Luka Doncic | Slovenia (Los Angeles Lakers) | US$58.5 Million |
| Nikola Jokic | Serbia (Denver Nuggets) | US$57.6 Million |
4 overseas NBA stars made it into the top 15 among the league’s highest earners. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the highest-paid non-American NBA player as per Forbes in 2025, with his 94.4 million earnings. Canada’s Shai Gilgeous Alexander comes 2nd in this list. 2 more Europeans are there as well. They are: Lakers’ Slovenian star Luka Doncic and Nuggets’ Serbian player Nikola Jokic.
What is an average NBA salary?
According to reports and Marca, the 2025-26 average NBA player salary is approximately US$11.8 million. The sum increased almost 1.5 times in the last 5 years. The average NBA salary was $7.90 million for the 2020-21 season, and the sum was $8.25 million in the 2021-22 season. Professional Sports Salary Caps & Comparison.
