Highest-Paid NBA Players Ever

(last updated on October 12, 2025)

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. Then in the summer of 2024, his teammate Jayson Tatum topped that number with $314 million over five years. NBA contracts are getting bigger and bigger every year.

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 2025-26 season, who is the highest-paid NBA player of all time? Let’s count down the top 10.

note: All contract numbers are according to Basketball Reference.

LeBron James – $531,322,773

King James is the king of career earnings, with $531,322,773 through the 2024-25 season making him the highest-paid NBA player of all time according to Basketball Reference. The 2025-26 season marks his 23rd in the league, and he shows no signs of slowing down, even making history by playing with his son Bronny. James’ agent Rich Paul has done well for his client, as James has never taken a pay cut. In the 2025-26 season James is making over $52 million.

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Kevin Durant – $450,334,167

Making over $450 million in his career, Kevin Durant is second 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 Houston Rockets he is making almost $55 million. The two-time Finals MVP and 2013-14 league MVP has proven throughout his career that he is worth the money, and the Rockets are hoping their investment pays off in the form of an NBA title.

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Stephen Curry – $413,605,897

In his 16 seasons in the NBA Stephen Curry has made a lot of shots–and money. Over $413 million to be specific. This is enough to place him third 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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Chris Paul – $400,967,923

Veteran point guard and former NBAPA President Chris Paul is the fourth-richest NBA player ever, with career earnings of over $400 million. A significant portion of his career earnings, $117,213,780, came during his six years with the Los Angeles Clippers; now he is back with them for the 2025-26 season. 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 is a paltry one-year, $2,296,274 deal with the Clippers.

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James Harden – $374,330,943

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 2025-26, he will make over $39 million with the Clippers and then over $42 million for 2026-27.

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Paul George – $357,070,013

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 $307 million thus far. In the summer of 2024, he signed a four-year, $212 million deal with the Sixers. Currently, George is the sixth-richest NBA player of all time.

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Russell Westbrook – $348,234,946

At seventh-highest career earnings, NBA veteran Russell Westbrook has made over $348 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. In 2024-25, he played on a one-year, $3,303,771 contract with the Denver Nuggets. Russ signed with the Sacramento Kings for the 2025-26 NBA season. 

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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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Damian Lillard – $329,998,764

Dame time has resulted in some big bucks for the guard out of Weber State. The 2013 ROY for the Portland Trail Blazers has been a clutch performer and earner his whole career. As a nine-time All-Star, Lillard has earned almost $330 million heading into the 2025-26 season. Although he is recovering from an Achilles injury, his original team Portland signed him to a three-year deal this summer after the Milwaukee Bucks waived him.

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Kawhi Leonard – $328,300,910

Kawhi Leonard only made less than $9 million his first four years in the NBA after the Spurs drafted him in 2011. Then the two-time Finals MVP really started cashing checks … to the tune of $328+ million for his career so far. This LA Clipper is scheduled to make $50 million in each of the next two seasons. Leading the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA title has been quite lucrative for this versatile small forward.

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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.