Highest-Paid NBA Players By Team

On Tuesday, we listed the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2023/24 season. Although that list presented a clear picture of the highest earners for the current season, not every NBA team was represented. Six of the league’s 30 franchises – the Pistons, Pacers, Knicks, Magic, Spurs, and Jazz – didn’t have a single player in the top 50.

Our list of highest-paid players for 2023/24 also only provided a snapshot for this year. For example, Kyle Lowry, who cracked the top 50, will be well compensated for the coming season but is on an expiring contract and will almost certainly fall off that list next year.

Today, we’re shifting our focus to the highest-paid players by team. This will allow us to check in on the clubs that weren’t represented on our initial list, as well as identifying some of the league’s most lucrative multiyear commitments — we’ve included each club’s highest-paid player for the current season (by 2023/24 base salary) and its highest-paid player in total (by total guaranteed base salary, including player options).

Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks

• 2023/24: Trae Young ($37,096,500)
• Total: Trae Young (four years, $178,063,200)
  • Note: Young’s final year is a player option.
    

Boston Celtics

• 2023/24: Kristaps Porzingis ($36,016,200)
• Total: Jaylen Brown (six years, $33,5565,047)
  • Note: The projected value of Brown’s super-max extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25.
    

Brooklyn Nets

• 2023/24: Ben Simmons ($37,893,408)
• Total: Cameron Johnson (four years, $90,000,000)
  • Note: Johnson could earn another $18MM in incentives.
    

Charlotte Hornets

• 2023/24: Gordon Hayward ($31,500,000)
• Total: LaMelo Ball (six years, $227,854,130)
  
  • Note: The projected value of Ball’s maximum-salary extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25. His projected six-year earnings could increase to $271,244,829 if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024.

Chicago Bulls

• 2023/24: Zach LaVine ($40,064,220)
• Total: Zach LaVine (four years, $178,063,200)
  • Note: LaVine’s final year is a player option.

Cleveland Cavaliers

• 2023/24: Darius Garland ($34,005,250)
  
• Total: Darius Garland (five years, $197,230,450)

Dallas Mavericks

• 2023/24: Luka Doncic ($40,064,220)
• Total: Luka Doncic (four years, $178,063,200)
  • Note: Doncic’s final year is a player option.

Denver Nuggets

• 2023/24: Nikola Jokic ($47,607,350)
  
• Total: Nikola Jokic (five years, $276,122,630)
  
  • Note: Jokic’s final year is a player option.
    

Detroit Pistons

• 2023/24: Bojan Bogdanovic ($20,000,000)
  
• Total: Isaiah Stewart (four years, $50,266,713)
  
  • Note: Stewart could earn another $3MM in incentives and an additional $15MM (plus a potential $1MM in incentives) if his 2027/28 team option is exercised.

Golden State Warriors

• 2023/24: Stephen Curry ($51,915,615)
• Total: Stephen Curry (three years, $167,283,648)

Houston Rockets

• 2023/24: Fred VanVleet ($40,806,300)
• Total: Dillon Brooks (four years, $86,000,001)
  • Note: Brooks could earn another $4MM in incentives.
  • Note: VanVleet would earn $128,539,845 over the next three years if his 2025/26 team option is exercised, but is currently only owed $83,652,915 in guaranteed money.

Indiana Pacers

• 2023/24: Bruce Brown ($22,000,000)
  
  • Note: Buddy Hield‘s base salary is $18,568,183, but he could earn another $3,537,945 in incentives, surpassing Brown.
• Total: Tyrese Haliburton (six years, $222,761,930)
  • Note: The projected value of Haliburton’s maximum-salary extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25. His projected six-year earnings could increase to $266,152,629 if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024.

Los Angeles Clippers

• 2023/24: Paul George / Kawhi Leonard ($45,640,084)
• Total: Paul George / Kawhi Leonard (two years, $94,427,760)
  
  • Note: George and Leonard each have final-year player options.

Los Angeles Lakers

• 2023/24: LeBron James ($47,607,350)
• Total: Anthony Davis (five years, $270,458,910)
  • Note: Davis has a final-year early player option. The projected value of his maximum-salary extension is based on 10% salary cap increases for the next two years.
    

Memphis Grizzlies

• 2023/24: Ja Morant ($34,005,250)
• Total: Desmond Bane (six years, $201,075,533)
  • Note: Bane could earn another $8,669,550 in incentives.
    

Miami Heat

• 2023/24: Jimmy Butler ($45,183,960)
• Total: Jimmy Butler (three years, $146,396,031)
  • Note: Butler’s final year is a player option.

Milwaukee Bucks

• 2023/24: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($45,640,084)
• Total: Giannis Antetokounmpo (three years, $146,363,028)
  • Note: Antetokounmpo’s final year is a player option.
    

Minnesota Timberwolves

• 2023/24: Rudy Gobert ($41,000,000)
• Total: Karl-Anthony Towns (five years, $270,625,064)
  • Note: The projected value of Towns’ super-max extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25. If Anthony Edwards makes an All-NBA team in 2024, his projected six-year earnings would increase to $273,879,011, narrowly edging out Towns.
    

New Orleans Pelicans

• 2023/24: CJ McCollum ($35,802,469)
• Total: Zion Williamson (five years, $197,230,450)

New York Knicks

• 2023/24: Jalen Brunson ($26,346,666)
  • Note: Julius Randle‘s base salary is $25,660,800, but he could earn another $2,566,080 in incentives, surpassing Brunson.
• Total: RJ Barrett (four years, $107,000,000)
  • Note: Barrett could earn another $13MM in incentives.

Oklahoma City Thunder

• 2023/24: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($33,386,850)
• Total: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (four years, $148,386,000)
  

Orlando Magic

• 2023/24: Markelle Fultz: $17,000,000
  • Note: Fultz could earn another $1MM in incentives.
  • Note: Jonathan Isaac could earn a $17,400,000 base salary and another $2,600,000 in incentives, surpassing Fultz. However, his salary is currently only partially guaranteed for $7,600,000.
• Total: Wendell Carter Jr. (three years, $35,850,000)
  • Note: Paolo Banchero will earn $39,103,649 over the next three years if his team options for 2024/25 and 2025/26 are exercised. That’s highly likely, but isn’t technically guaranteed yet.
    

Philadelphia 76ers

• 2023/24: Joel Embiid ($47,607,350)
• Total: Joel Embiid (four years, $213,280,928)
  • Note: Embiid’s final year is a player option.

Phoenix Suns

• 2023/24: Kevin Durant ($47,649,433)
• Total: Devin Booker (five years, $270,625,064)
  
  • Note: The projected value of Booker’s super-max extension is based on a 10% salary cap increase for 2024/25.

Portland Trail Blazers

• 2023/24: Damian Lillard ($45,640,084)
• Total: Damian Lillard (four years, $214,245,640)
  • Note: Lillard has a final-year early player option. The projected value of his maximum-salary extension is based on 10% salary cap increases for the next two years.
    
  • Note: If Lillard is traded, Jerami Grant ($27,586,207 in 2023/24; $160MM over five years) would likely become the highest-paid Trail Blazer.

Sacramento Kings

• 2023/24: De’Aaron Fox ($32,600,060)
• Total: Domantas Sabonis (five years, $216,616,000)
  

San Antonio Spurs

• 2023/24: Keldon Johnson ($20,000,000)
  • Note: Johnson could earn another $1.5MM in incentives.
• Total: Keldon Johnson (four years, $74,000,000)
  • Note: Johnson could earn another $6MM in incentives.
    

Toronto Raptors

• 2023/24: Pascal Siakam ($37,893,408)
• Total: Jakob Poeltl (four years, $78,000,000)
  • Note: Poeltl’s final year is a player option. He could earn another $2MM in incentives.

Utah Jazz

• 2023/24: John Collins ($25,340,000)
• Total: John Collins (three years, $78,500,000)
  • Note: Collins’ final year is a player option.

Washington Wizards

• 2023/24: Jordan Poole ($27,455,357)
  • Note: Poole could earn another $3.75MM in incentives.
• Total: Jordan Poole (four years, $123,000,000)

Information from Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.