NBA
The Highest-Paid NBA Players of 2023
Published31 Aug 2023
NBA salaries seem astronomical and can get pretty complicated. Unlike most pro sports leagues, like the NFL and NHL, which have hard caps, the NBA has a soft salary cap. Then, we must consider maximum player salaries, the “Derrick Rose rule,” sign-and-trade agreements, and several other factors that influence the highest-paid NBA players.
In the end, the top 10 highest-paid NBA players are raking it in regardless. Their performances make these earnings worth it because they increase ticket sales, playoff chances, and much more.
8. (tie) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
- Total cash earnings: $45,640,084
- Base salary: $45,640,084
- Cap hit: $45,640,084
- Contract: Five-year, $228,200,420 contract ending in 2025–26.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is tied for No. 8 on our list of the 10 highest-paid NBA players. The Greek Freak’s Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship and earned finals MVP honors for his performance. The power forward is also a two-time MVP winner, winning it back-to-back in 2019 and 2020.
8. (tie) Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
- Total cash earnings: $45,640,084
- Base salary: $45,640,084
- Cap hit: $45,640,084
- Contract: Four-year, $176,265,152 contract ending in 2024–25
Damian Lillard is tied for No. 8 on our list, raking in $45,640,084. The point guard, known for his long-range threes, has averaged 37.2% from three during his 11-year tenure for the Portland Trailblazers. Lillard is also a seven-time All-Star and earned Rookie of the Year in his 2012–13 rookie season.
8. (tie) Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
- Total cash earnings: $45,640,084
- Base salary: $45,640,084
- Cap hit: $45,640,084
- Contract: Four-year, $176,265,152 contract ending in 2024–25
Kawhi Leonard ties for the No. 8 spot on our list of the highest-paid NBA players as he enters his 13th year in the league. The small forward is a two-time NBA champion for the Spurs and Raptors, earning finals MVPs for both performances. Known for his defensive abilities, Leonard is a seven-time All-Defensive Player and two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
7. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
- Total cash earnings: $45,640,165
- Base salary: $45,640,165
- Cap hit: $45,640,165
- Contract: Four-year, $176,265 contract ending in 2024–25
The 13-year veteran for the Clippers, Paul George earns the seventh spot on our list. While the Clippers shooting guard has never won a championship, he’s been a dominant force on the court, averaging 20.6 points per game. Known for his mid-range, George is an eight-time All-Star and four-time all-defensive player.
6. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
- Total cash earnings: $46,407,433
- Base salary: $46,407,433
- Cap hit: $47,649,433
- Contract: Four-year, $194,219,320 contract ending in 2025–26
Kevin Duran, the 6-foot-10 power forward for the Phoenix Suns, makes the No. 6 spot in our list. The 13-time All-Star has won two NBA championships and netted four scoring championships. He was the finals MVP in both his championships and has averaged 27.3 points per game in his high-scoring and high-earning career.
5. Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns
- Total cash earnings: $46,741,590
- Base salary: $46,741,590
- Cap hit: $46,741,590
- Contract: Five-year, $251,019,650 contract ending in 2026–27
Shooting guard Bradley Beal earns the No. 5 spot on this list. Recently traded to the Phoenix Suns, Beal played his career with the Wizards, averaging 22.1 points per game, where he was a three-time All-Star.
2. (tie) Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Total cash earnings: $47,607,350
- Base salary: $47,607,350
- Cap hit: $47,607,350
- Contract: Five-year, $276,122,630 contract ending in 2027–28
Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic is tied for No. 2 with $47,607,350. The two-time NBA MVP became a Finals MVP when he won the 2023 playoffs with the Denver Nuggets. The center has five All-Star game appearances and a career average of 20.2 points per game.
Jokic’s NBA records are so numerous that they need an article of their own. We’ll just name a few: the highest single-season player efficiency rating in NBA history (32.85), the fastest triple-double in NBA history (14 minutes and 33 seconds), and the first player in NBA history to lead all players in points, rebounds, and assists in a single postseason.
2. (tie) LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
- Total cash earnings: $47,607,350
- Base salary: $47,607,350
- Cap hit: $47,607,350
- Contract: 2-year, $99,023,288 contract ending in 2024–25.
Tied for second place is 20-year NBA veteran LeBron James. The all-time scoring leader has averaged 27.2 points per game in his career across three different franchises. At 38 years old, James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, and four-time regular season MVP.
It’s hard to summarize this man’s NBA career as he heads toward his forties in a similar fashion to Tom Brady — iconic, relentless, and indelible.
2. (tie) Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
- Total cash earnings: $47,607,350
- Base salary: $47,607,350
- Cap hit: $47,607,350
- Contract: Four-year, $213,280,928 contract ending in 2026–27
The 2022–23 NBA MVP also ties for the No. 2 spot on our list of highest-paid NBA players with a $47,607,350 salary. After battling several knee and foot injuries early on in his career, Joel Embiid’s time is now.
In his MVP season, the Cameroonian center averaged 1.7 blocks, 10.2 rebounds, and 30.6 points per game. Embiid is also a six-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, and three-time all-defensive player.
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Total cash earnings in 2023–24: $51,915,615
- Base salary: $51,915,615
- Cap hit: $51,915,615
- Contract: Four-year, $215,353,664 contract ending in 2025–26
Surprise, surprise. The best three-point shooter of all time is also the highest-paid NBA player in 2023, with a yearly guaranteed salary of $51,915,615. Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry is a two-time scoring champion, two-time MVP, and nine-time All-Star.
Known to have transformed the game with his three-point shot, the highest-paid NBA player averages 42.8% from three in his career. Curry’s range is unmatched, and his earnings are, too.
Contract information courtesy of Spotrac
