NBA’s Top 50 Highest-Paid Players For 2023/24

Many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, but the 2023/24 salaries for those players vary significantly depending on when the player signed his contract and how much NBA experience he has. That’s why a player like Stephen Curry will earn nearly $18MM more than Darius Garland in ’23/24 despite both stars technically being on max deals.

When a player signs a maximum-salary contract, he doesn’t necessarily earn the NBA max for each season of that contract — he earns the max in year one, then gets a series of identical annual raises. In Curry’s case, his 2023/24 salary actually exceeds this year’s maximum, since the annual cap increases since he began earning the max haven’t kept pace with his annual 8% raises.

Listed below, with some help from Spotrac‘s salary data, are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2023/24 season. The players on this list don’t necessarily have the contracts with the largest overall value. This top 50 only considers the current league year, with the player’s ’23/24 base salary listed.

Additionally, we’ve noted players who could potentially increase their earnings via incentives or trade bonuses. We didn’t add those notes for players like Curry or Garland, who have trade bonuses but are already earning the maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.

Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2023/24 season:

1. Stephen Curry, Warriors: $51,915,615
2. Kevin Durant, Suns: $47,649,433
3. Joel Embiid, Sixers: $47,607,350
   LeBron James, Lakers: $47,607,350
   Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $47,607,350
6. Bradley Beal, Suns: $46,741,590
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $45,640,084 (15% trade kicker)
   Paul George, Clippers: $45,640,084
   Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $45,640,084 (15% trade kicker)
   Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers: $45,640,084
11. Jimmy Butler, Heat: $45,183,960 (15% trade kicker)
12. Klay Thompson, Warriors: $43,219,440 (15% trade kicker)
13. Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves: $41,000,000
14. Fred VanVleet, Rockets: $40,806,300
15. Anthony Davis, Lakers: $40,600,080 (15% trade kicker)
16. Luka Doncic, Mavericks: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
    Zach LaVine, Bulls: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
    Trae Young, Hawks: $40,064,220 (15% trade kicker)
19. Tobias Harris, Sixers: $39,270,150 (5% trade kicker)
20. Pascal Siakam, Raptors: $37,893,408
    Ben Simmons, Nets: $37,893,408
22. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks: $37,037,037 (15% trade kicker)
    • Irving can earn another $2,000,000 in unlikely incentives.
23. Devin Booker, Suns: $36,016,200
    Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics: $36,016,200
    Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: $36,016,200 (5% trade kicker)
26. CJ McCollum, Pelicans: $35,802,469
27. James Harden, Sixers: $35,640,000 (15% trade kicker)
28. Jrue Holiday, Bucks: $34,954,667
    • Holiday can earn another $1,907,040 in likely incentives and $4,401,040 in unlikely incentives.
29. Darius Garland, Cavaliers: $34,005,250
    Ja Morant, Grizzlies: $34,005,250
    Zion Williamson, Pelicans: $34,005,250
32. Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: $33,833,400 (15% trade kicker)
    Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $33,833,400
34. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: $33,386,850 (15% trade kicker)
    Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: $33,386,850
36. Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: $33,162,030
37. Bam Adebayo, Heat: $32,600,060
    De’Aaron Fox, Kings: $32,600,060
    Jayson Tatum, Celtics: $32,600,060 (15% trade kicker)
40. Deandre Ayton, Suns: $32,459,438
41. Gordon Hayward, Hornets: $31,500,000 (15% trade kicker)
42. Chris Paul, Warriors: $30,800,000
43. Kyle Lowry, Heat: $29,682,540
44. Khris Middleton, Bucks: $28,703,704
    • Middleton can earn another $617,284 in likely incentives and $2,345,679 in unlikely incentives.
45. DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: $28,600,000
46. Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $28,508,929
    • Brown can earn another $3,321,428 in likely incentives.
47. Domantas Sabonis, Kings: $28,000,000
    • Sabonis can earn another $2,600,000 in likely incentives.
48. Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers: $27,586,207
49. Jordan Poole, Wizards: $27,455,357
    • Poole can earn another $3,750,000 in unlikely incentives.
50. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies: $27,102,202

The cutoff point for this year’s top-50 list exceeded $27MM for the first time in NBA history, and that cutoff could actually end up even higher by the time the season concludes.

A handful of players who just missed the top 50 have the ability to earn more than Jackson’s $27.1MM base salary if they achieve certain performance incentives and/or cash in on trade bonuses during the coming season.

Here are the players who could break into the top 50 by season’s end:

• Tyler Herro, Heat: $27,000,000
  • Herro can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
• Jalen Brunson, Knicks: $26,346,666 (10% trade kicker)
  • Brunson would need to be traded to increase his 2023/24 earnings, which is extremely unlikely.
• Julius Randle, Knicks: $25,660,800 (15% trade kicker)
  • Randle can earn another $2,566,080 in likely incentives.
• Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: $25,568,182 (15% trade kicker)
  • Kuzma can earn another $3,000,000 in unlikely incentives.
• Cameron Johnson, Nets: $24,456,522
  • Johnson can earn another $1,222,826 in likely incentives and $3,668,478 in unlikely incentives.