The National Basketball Association (NBA) has the fourth-largest revenue of any sports league in the world, and they are projecting $5.7 billion in revenue for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Despite holding the fourth position in revenue, the NBA stands out due to the limited roster spots available compared to other leagues.
Each NBA team can have a maximum of 15 players during the regular season, unlike the National Football League (NFL), with 53 players per team, and Major League Baseball (MLB), 40 players per team.
This unique roster size contributes to substantially higher player salaries in the NBA, as there are fewer players to divide the salary cap among, making NBA players the world's highest-paid athletes in terms of average annual salary per player across all sports.
That said, here are the ten highest-paid players in the NBA for the 2023-24 season, according to Sportrac and Boardroom.
Tied-7. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) - $45,640,084
The 2021 NBA Finals MVP will be eligible for another max extension next season, with the potential to earn even more in his upcoming deal.
Tied-7. Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers) - $45,640,084
George's contract is identical with co-Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, and both have a player option for the 2024-25 season worth $48,787,676.
Tied-7. Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) - $45,640,084
Like his Clippers co-star Paul George, Leonard is already in discussions with the team for a possible extension, hoping to maximize the championship window with the two.
Tied-7. Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks) - $45,640,084
Lillard is the first player in NBA history to breach the $60 million mark in terms of single-season salary, with his player option for the 2026-27 season worth $63.2 million.
6. Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns) - $46,407,433
The Suns star has the third-highest career earnings of any player in NBA history, making $350,297,591 throughout 16 seasons in the league.
5. Bradley Beal (Phoenix Suns) - $46,741,590
Aside from signing one of the largest contracts in NBA history, Beal's contract is the only one with a no-trade clause in the entire league.
Tied-2. Joel Emiid (Philadelphia 76ers) - $47,607,350
The reigning NBA MVP signed a four-year max extension with Philadelphia worth $196 million, which will begin to take effect this season.
Tied-2. - Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) - $47,607,350
The reigning NBA Finals MVP previously held the record for the largest contract in NBA history in terms of total value, signing a five-year extension worth over $264 million in the summer of 2022.
Tied-2. - LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) - $47,607,350
The league's all-time leading scorer also holds the career record for most earnings by a wide margin, having collected $434,986,078 in NBA salary from 2003-04 to 2022-23.
1. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) - $51,915,615
For the seventh straight season, the greatest three-point shooter of all time is the highest-paid player in the league, having held the distinction since the 2017-18 season. He is also the first player to sign a contract worth $200 million twice.
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