The 10 Highest Paid NBA Stars Will Each Earn $40+ Million Next Season

ByJoey Heldon September 2, 2021inArticles›Sports News

The frenzy of NBA free agency is behind us, and teams are now starting to look toward the upcoming season. Before things tip off, every team is buzzing with excitement; even the worst squads in the league have hope when the games haven’t yet been played.

Players will be excited to get back on the court, and some are more amped than others. That’s because, for the first time in NBA history, the league’s top stars are all going to be making huge dollars. Ten players will take home at least $39.3 million with their contracts. Paired with possible incentives, endorsement deals, and other perks, they’ll all easily clear $40 million.

Here’s a look at the league’s highest-paid players for the 2021-22 season, with salaries rounded to the nearest $100,000:

Steph Curry , Golden State Warriors — $45.8 million

If you think Steph Curry makes an absurd amount of money, you’re not wrong — but the Warriors likely consider it payback for the beginning of his career, when he was wildly underpaid. Curry was on a four-year, $44 million contract that kicked in during the 2013-14 season. That means he was making just $11 million per year during the Warriors’ first championship run, the season they went 73-9, and their second championship. He signed a four-year, $215 million extension this summer, which will pay him just under $60 million during the final season of the contract.

John Wall , Houston Rockets — $44.3 million

The second-highest-paid player on this list, Wall also may be the most fragile. He suffered an Achilles injury during the 2018-19 season which forced him to miss 50 games that year, the entirety of the following season, and 42 games this past season. But he’s looking for a second chance at stardom in Houston, which could land him another lucrative deal after this one’s up (though it likely won’t be worth nearly as much). Wall has a player option next season for more than $47.3 million — it would be absolutely shocking if he turns that down.

James Harden , Brooklyn Nets — $44.3 million

James Harden started last season with the Rockets — where he signed an extension worth $228 million in 2017 — before being traded to Brooklyn. Harden has a player option for the next season worth $46.8 million, though he may decline it to sign a longer deal with the Nets. His first season on his new team didn’t go nearly as smoothly as he’d hoped. He missed games during both the regular season and playoffs due to injury, and he enters this year still searching for his first-ever NBA title.

Steph Curry (L) and Kevin Durant (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Russell Westbrook , Los Angeles Lakers — $44.2 million

In acquiring Wall, the Rockets traded one $40+ million man for another. Westbrook signed a massive deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and since inking that extension he’s moved on to the Rockets, the Washington Wizards, and now the Los Angeles Lakers. It’ll be fascinating to see how he fits alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis . But one thing’s for sure: the team is going to have a ton of guys that aren’t afraid of taking over a game.

Kevin Durant , Brooklyn Nets — $42 million

Durant came one toe on the line away from sending the Nets to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they likely would have been favorites to win the NBA title. He’ll get another crack at it this year, though he’s hoping he has a healthy surrounding cast, including Harden and Kyrie Irving . On top of next year’s salary of $40.9 million, Durant can also earn $1.1 million in likely incentives. He may be the best player in the NBA right now and just inked a long-term deal to stay in Brooklyn through the 2025-26 season.

LeBron James , Los Angeles Lakers — $41.2 million

James has had a rollercoaster of a career in Los Angeles since joining the Lakers back in 2018. He suffered an extensive injury his first year as the Lakers missed the playoffs entirely, but bounced back to capture his fourth NBA championship and Finals MVP in the NBA Bubble. This past year, the Lakers made the play-in tournament, defeating the Golden State Warriors to earn the seventh seed. They were eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns, but are back to being among the title favorites heading into this season. James is also perhaps the most popular player across the world; with the revenue and number of fans he brings to the league, he’s arguably wildly underpaid .

Giannis Antetokounmpo , Milwaukee Bucks — $39.3 million

The reigning Finals MVP has been living the good life in Milwaukee. He helped end the city’s 50-year championship drought and re-upped to stay in town for the long run. With an extremely likable personality off the court, Antetokounmpo will likely add on quite a bit to next year’s salary with new sponsorship and endorsement opportunities.

Paul George , Los Angeles Clippers — $39.3 million

Though George may not have fully shaken off the “Pandemic P” nickname during this year’s playoffs, he did help lead the Clippers to the franchise’s first Western Conference Finals while his teammate Kawhi Leonard sat out with a knee injury. George and Leonard joined the Clippers together back in 2019. The former signed an extension before the start of last season while the latter just agreed to a four-year deal this summer. Both of the Southern California players are set on one thing: winning a championship in front of their hometown fans.

Kawhi Leonard , Los Angeles Clippers — $39.3 million

Leonard is probably the best two-way player in the league, though he comes with the caveat that he’s going to miss several games every year. Whether through load management or an injury, Leonard has sat out 73, 22, 15, and 20 games during the past four seasons. He’ll likely miss most or all of this upcoming season while recovering from his latest knee injury, but he offers enough when healthy that the Clippers were comfortable signing him to a massive deal.

Damian Lillard , Portland Trail Blazers — $39.3 million

We know Damian Lillard will make $39.3 million this season. We don’t know if he’ll still be on the Blazers when all is said and done. The team’s star player has expressed frustration with the franchise as they made offseason personnel moves, including bringing in Chauncey Billups as head coach. There have been rumblings of a potential trade request, though it’s unclear how much validity there is to those rumors. Regardless of where Lillard plays, you can bet he’ll have at least one clutch shot that we’re all celebrating at some point this season.

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Anthony Davis Just Signed The Largest NBA Extension Ever, Next Season He’ll Make 70% Of Michael Jordan’s NBA Career Earnings

ByJoey Heldon August 4, 2023inArticles›Sports News

• Anthony Davis
• LeBron James
• Michael Jordan
• Rich Paul
• Taylor Swift

Anthony Davis joined the Los Angeles Lakers before the start of the 2019-20 NBA season, the result of a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. That season was suspended for more than four months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. When play finally resumed, Davis, LeBron James , and the rest of the Lakers ultimately won the championship.

The Lakers haven’t been back to the NBA Finals since, but after a strong end to this past season, they’re feeling good about their chances. That means signing one of their stars to a massive contract extension.

Davis and the Lakers agreed to a three-year, $186 million deal to keep Davis in L.A. through the 2027-28 season. The team will now pay Davis $270 million over the next five years. Davis will average $62 million per season in the new deal, which is the largest annual contract extension the league has ever seen.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Davis became eligible to sign his extension on Friday and didn’t wait long to make it happen. He opted for financial security over the potential to make even more money by taking shorter deals — something his teammate has done with great success .

Despite the franchise’s championship in 2020, things weren’t nearly as rosy the next two years. The Lakers barely made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the 2020-21 season, losing in six games in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. The following year was even worse, as the Lakers missed the postseason entirely. Davis sat out more than half of his team’s games due to various injuries, appearing in just 76 of a possible 154 contests.

The deal is also big news for Rich Paul . He represents both Davis and James (who’s signed through next year and then has a player option in 2024-25) and has secured close to $370 million for the two L.A. stars. The NBA has a rule that caps agent fees at 4% for veteran players, so Paul will make about $14.8 million simply from these two contracts alone. His overall client roster is extensive — his players will earn a collective $500 million this upcoming season.

The Lakers are investing in Davis for the long term. Now, his goal is to help the franchise add another championship banner (or several) to its rafters.

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The 12 Players On Team USA’s Roster Will Make Over Half A Billion Dollars Next NBA Season

ByJoey Heldon August 14, 2024inArticles›Sports News

The Olympics are fantastic for several reasons. We get to see terrific stories of athletes winning the first-ever medals for their nation, like Julien Alfred of St. Lucia and Thea LaFond of Dominica . We learn about the ins and outs of the host nation. We discover the rules of sports we may not have ever known before.

And, of course, we get to see the best athletes in the world competing at the highest level. That’s been apparent on the basketball court, where we’ve had tons of NBA talent participating across nations. It’s culminating with the United States facing France for the gold medal.

The French are represented by five current NBA players, including Victor Wembanyama , Rudy Gobert , Nicolas Batum, and Bilal Coulibaly. Evan Fournier is currently a free agent but was on an NBA roster last season.

Team USA’s 12 players are all NBA stars. And they’re also among the highest-paid in the league. Collectively, the players on the Team USA men’s basketball roster will make $503,631,169 in salary. Yep, these 12 guys will earn more than half a billion dollars in the upcoming season.

Here’s a breakdown of each player and what they’ll make.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Steph Curry , Golden State Warriors — $55,761,217

For much of the Olympics, people were wondering when Steph Curry would start regularly hitting shots. It took until the semifinals, but Chef Curry cooked—and it was impressive. He scored 36 points, including 9-of-14 on threes, and was the main reason Team USA was able to squeak by Serbia en route to the final. This upcoming season, he’ll be the highest-paid player in the NBA.

Joel Embiid , Philadelphia 76ers — $51,415,938

Joel Embiid was greeted with boos from the French crowd every time he touched the ball. He earned his French citizenship but opted to play for the United States. If any player would welcome being a villain, Embiid is that guy. He had some inconsistencies but hit a few key shots during the Olympics.

Kevin Durant , Phoenix Suns — $51,179,020

Kevin Durant became Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in this Olympics run. He went 8-for-9 during a shooting clinic in the first game and seemed openly upset when he finally missed a three-pointer in the next game. He won a pair of championships with the Golden State Warriors but has had less success in subsequent stops in Brooklyn and Phoenix. However, he’s still the second-highest earner in NBA history, behind only LeBron James.

Devin Booker , Phoenix Suns — $49,205,800

Devin Booker was perhaps the most unheralded player on all of Team USA. He was a consistent scorer in most games and put solid defensive pressure on opposing players. Booker is making slightly less than Bradley Beal , the third member of the Suns’ big three. Together, the group will cost about $150 million next season.

LeBron James , Los Angeles Lakers — $48,728,845

LeBron James was the floor general for Team USA, and when the team needed a big bucket down the stretch, he delivered. He’s also well on his way to becoming a billionaire thanks to his NBA-record career earnings and many endorsement deals, including a lifetime contract with Nike. He’s won four NBA titles and is the league’s all-time leading scorer—and he’s not done yet.

Anthony Davis , Los Angeles Lakers — $43,219,440

When he didn’t have to battle Nikola Jokic , Anthony Davis was a defensive stalwart for Team USA. The Lakers big man has been a critical element for the franchise alongside James. We keep thinking James will eventually retire and Davis will be the centerpiece, but for now, they’ll continue to be a dynamic duo. Davis is on a five-year deal; when it expires, his three-year, $186 million extension will kick in, paying him a whopping $62 million per season.

Tyrese Haliburton , Indiana Pacers — $42,176,400

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers had a surprising postseason, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals as the No. 6 seed. Haliburton ultimately missed most of the conference finals with an injury, but there’s reason for optimism in Indiana. Haliburton primarily stayed on the bench with the Olympic team, but don’t feel too bad for him. He still inked a five-year, $260 million extension before the 2023-24 season.

Anthony Edwards , Minnesota Timberwolves — $42,176,400

Anthony Edwards was one of the viral stars of the Olympics, thanks to his fascination with table tennis star Lily Zhang . While he didn’t participate in a ping-pong challenge, he had a generally solid Olympics, wowing crowds with his athletic dunks and violent blocks. He’s also shaping up to be one of the faces of the NBA’s next generation. He also agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension before last season.

Jayson Tatum , Boston Celtics — $34,848,340

Jayson Tatum signed the largest contract in NBA history this summer (five years, $314 million), but that deal doesn’t kick in until the following season. This upcoming year, he’s actually one of the lowest-paid players on the USA roster. He was a healthy scratch from multiple games, despite being a key contributor to the Tokyo Olympics team. At least he’s getting some rest, since he had to play all the way into June to win his first NBA championship.

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat — $34,848,340

Three seasons ago, Bam Adebayo signed the same deal as Tatum, a max extension at the time. This offseason, like Tatum, Adebayo signed another deal, but this one isn’t quite as large as his Eastern Conference rival. Adebayo’s new extension is worth $166 million over three seasons, but it won’t start until his current one ends after the 2025-26 season. He’s been a key component to the Miami Heat’s success, and despite limited offensive production, he served as a nice backline of defense for Team USA.

Jrue Holiday , Boston Celtics — $30,000,000

Jrue Holiday has been a lockdown presence in the league for years and still has one of the coldest passes in NBA Finals history. He brought that same defensive intensity for Team USA, even though he missed an early game with an ankle injury. After the Bucks traded him as part of the Damian Lillard deal, he ended up in Boston and won his second championship in four seasons. He agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension shortly before the playoffs.

Derrick White, Boston Celtics — $20,071,429

White is the lowest-paid player on Team USA, but he almost wasn’t on the roster at all. He came over as an injury replacement for Kawhi Leonard . He was a strong defensive presence for the team’s second unit, and he did some of the dirty work that Celtics fans were accustomed to during the season. In the NBA, White won his first championship a year and a half after being traded from the San Antonio Spurs. Last month, White inked a four-year, $126 million extension.

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