Highest Paid NBA Players Ever

In July 2023, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown signed a five-year $304 million supermax extension with the team, the biggest contract in NBA history. NBA contracts are getting bigger and bigger and Brown may soon find himself on the list of the top 10 highest paid NBA players of all time. 

The rise of supermax contracts and an exciting generation of young superstars will guarantee that young NBA players today will have unprecedented financial success in the near future. But as of the start of the 2023 season, who is the highest-paid NBA player of all time? Let’s count down the top 10.

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Lebron James – $434,986,578

King James is the king of career earnings, with $434,986,578 through the 2022-23 season making him the highest paid NBA player of all time according to Basketball Reference. The 2023-24 season marks his 21st in the league and he shows no signs of slowing down, claiming he wants to one day play with his son Bronny before retirement. James’ agent Rich Paul has done well for his client, as James has never taken a pay cut. In the 2023-24 season James is making over $47 million, with a player option in 2024-25, the season in which he will turn 40, of over $51 million.

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Chris Paul – $359,707,923

Veteran point guard and former NBAPA President Chris Paul is the second most paid NBA player ever, with career earnings of almost $360 million. A significant portion of his career earnings, $117,213,780, came during his six years with the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the season in which he made the most money was 2020-21, his first season with the Phoenix Suns in which he made $41,358,814. Paul’s current contract with the Golden State Warriors isn’t too shabby either, he’s scheduled to make $30 million in each of the next two seasons.

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Kevin Durant – $351,505,713

Making just over $350 million in his career, Kevin Durant is third on the list of the top 10 highest paid NBA players of all time. However, there is a strong chance at the end of his career he could retire as the highest paid NBA player of all time. His current contract was signed in 2021 for a total of around $198 million. This season with the Phoenix Suns he is making around $47.7 million but he still has two years remaining in which he will make over $50 million in each. The two-time Finals MVP and 2013-14 league MVP has proved throughout his career that he is worth the money and the Suns are hoping their investment pays off in the form of an NBA title.

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Russell Westbrook – $338,767,912

At fourth highest career earnings, NBA veteran Russell Westbrook has made over $338 million in his career. The 2016-17 MVP made the bulk of his money with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he played for 11 seasons. Westbrook’s largest year of earnings was the 2022-23 season in which he earned  $46,295,265 as a player for the Los Angeles Clippers, though his contract was bought out by the Utah Jazz. In the summer of 2023, he resigned a two-year deal with the Clippers for $7.8 million, a clear signal that his top-earning days are behind him. Still, the nine-time All Star has had an exceptionally lucrative NBA career. 

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Kevin Garnett – $343,872,398

Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett is the highest paid NBA player of all time who is not currently active in the league. An impressive feat considering that player contracts have only gotten larger since his retirement in 2016. Garnett’s breakthrough contract came in 1997, when he signed a six year extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves worth a then-record $126 million. Garnett would re-sign with the Timberwolves once more before being traded to the Boston Celtics, who would also sign him to a three-year, $60 million extension. Though his highest-earning season was the 2003-04 campaign, in which he made $28 million, Garnett would continue to play–and earn–at a high level with the Celtics, where he helped lead the team to a 2008 NBA championship.

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Kobe Bryant – $328,238,062

In Kobe Bryant’s 20 year career in the NBA, he racked up over $328 million, currently making him the sixth highest paid NBA player of all time. Bryant made modest money in his first three seasons with the Lakers on his rookie contract, but during the 1998-99 season he signed a six-year $70 million extension with the club. The Lakers’ investment would pay off as Bryant would become one of the greatest players of all time, winning five NBA championships in Los Angeles. The season in which Kobe made the most came in 2013-14, where he made over $30 million.

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Stephen Curry – $305,929,066

In his 14 seasons in the NBA Stephen Curry has made a lot of shots–and money. Over $305 million to be specific. This is enough to place him seventh on the list of top 10 highest paid NBA players of all time. After winning back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016 and an NBA title in 2017, Curry made history by signing a record-shattering deal that summer. This was the NBA’s first contract over $200 million, thanks to the newly negotiated “supermax” provision of the CBA. 

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James Harden – $304,996,502

In recent seasons, point guard James Harden has become as known for his trade-demanding and contract negotiating as much as his on-court play. Though frustrating for fans of the Rockets, Nets and 76ers, these seasons have been very good for Harden’s finances as he’s made at least $30 million in each season since 2018-19 with the Houston Rockets. In 2023-24, he will make $35.6 million with the Clippers, after picking up this option on his deal with the 76ers. Harden will be a free agent in summer 2024 where he will certainly demand a high price on the open market, it all depends what teams are willing to pay for a fading star who has proven he can be a headache.

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Shaquille O’Neal – $292,198,327

Shaq made a name for himself with the Orlando Magic on his rookie contract, leading the franchise to their first finals appearance in 1995. After four years with Orlando, O’Neal hit the free agency market and signed a seven-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $121 million. Shaq would win three titles with the Lakers before being traded to the Miami Heat with one year left on his contract. In 2005 Shaq signed another six-figure extension with the Heat in which he would make at least $20 million per year for five years. 

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Paul George – $262,224,129

The Indiana Pacers selected Paul George with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft and signed him to a modest two-year deal with a team option for two more years. PG-13 proved he was worthy of the top-10 pick and once his rookie deal was up, he signed a five-year extension with the club. Six-figure deals in 2018 and 2020 have brought his career earnings up to over $262 million thus far, enough to make him the tenth highest paid NBA player of all time.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, January 28th, 2024 at 7:19 pm and is filed under Top 10 Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.