Many of the NBA’s highest-paid players are on contracts considered maximum-salary deals, but the 2025/26 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 $22MM more than LaMelo Ball in ’25/26 despite both players 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 2025/26 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 are the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2025/26 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 ’25/26 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 Anthony Edwards, who have trade bonuses but are already earning their maximum — their salaries for this season can’t increase beyond their max.
Here are the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players for the 2025/26 season:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors: $59,606,817
- Joel Embiid, Sixers: $55,224,526
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: $55,224,526 - Kevin Durant, Rockets: $53,282,608
- Durant can earn another $1,426,001 in likely incentives.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: $54,126,450
Jimmy Butler, Warriors: $54,126,450
Anthony Davis, Mavericks: $54,126,450
Jayson Tatum, Celtics: $54,126,450 - Devin Booker, Suns: $53,142,264 (10% trade kicker)
Jaylen Brown, Celtics: $53,142,264
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks: $53,142,264 - LeBron James, Lakers: $52,627,153 (15% trade kicker)
- Paul George, Sixers: $51,666,090 (15% trade kicker)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: $50,000,000 (15% trade kicker)
- Zach LaVine, Kings: $47,499,660
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons: $46,394,100
Lauri Markkanen, Jazz: $46,394,100
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: $46,394,100
Evan Mobley, Cavaliers: $46,394,100
Jamal Murray, Nuggets: $46,394,100 - Luka Doncic, Lakers: $45,999,660
Trae Young, Hawks: $45,999,660 (15% trade kicker) - Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves: $45,550,512
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers: $45,550,512
Pascal Siakam, Pacers: $45,550,512 - Domantas Sabonis, Kings: $42,336,000
- Sabonis can earn another $2,600,000 in unlikely incentives.
- OG Anunoby, Knicks: $39,568,966 (15% trade kicker)
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers: $39,446,090 (15% trade kicker)
Ja Morant, Grizzlies: $39,446,090 (15% trade kicker)
Zion Williamson, Pelicans: $39,446,090 - James Harden, Clippers: $39,182,693 (15% trade kicker)
- Scottie Barnes, Raptors: $38,661,750
Franz Wagner, Magic: $38,661,750 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: $38,333,050 (15% trade kicker)
Michael Porter Jr., Nets: $38,333,050 - Brandon Ingram, Raptors: $38,095,238
- LaMelo Ball, Hornets: $37,958,760 (15% trade kicker)
Tyrese Maxey, Sixers: $37,958,760 - Bam Adebayo, Heat: $37,096,620
De’Aaron Fox, Spurs: $37,096,620 - Desmond Bane, Magic: $36,725,670
- Bane can earn another $1,233,090 in unlikely incentives.
- Kyrie Irving, Mavericks: $36,566,002 (15% trade kicker)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves: $35,000,000 (7.5% trade kicker)
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies: $35,000,000
Jalen Suggs, Magic: $35,000,000 - Jalen Brunson, Knicks: $34,944,001 (15% trade kicker)
- Alperen Sengun, Rockets: $33,944,954
- Jalen Green, Suns: $33,584,499
- Khris Middleton, Wizards: $33,296,296
- Middleton can earn another $3,222,221 in unlikely incentives.
- Immanuel Quickley, Raptors: $32,500,000
- Quickley can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
For the first time in NBA history, a base salary above $30MM is required to earn a spot on the league’s list of the top 50 highest-paid players, and even that isn’t quite enough for a few players. A pair of Trail Blazers veterans – Jrue Holiday at $32.4MM and Jerami Grant at $32MM – are the top two highest-paid players who didn’t make the cut.
It’s also worth noting that a small handful of players who just missed the top 50 have the ability to earn more than Quickley’s $32.5MM base salary if they achieve certain performance incentives during the coming season. Those players are as follows:
- Jordan Poole, Pelicans: $31,848,215
- Poole can earn another $3,750,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Tyler Herro, Heat: $31,000,000
- Herro can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
- Dejounte Murray, Pelicans: $26,783,568
- Murray earned an additional $4,017,535 for 2025/26 via a trade bonus on top of his base salary; he can also earn another $2,267,997 in unlikely incentives.
