Apr 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks over his shoulder after scoring a basket against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
It is a secret of Polichinelle, the NBA is above all a league of business. And lately, business has been going well! The exponential increase in TV rights and commercial income in the last decade have enabled franchises to offer salaries never seen at their stars.
This year again, the Salary Cap will increase by 10% and wait for the 193m threshold. Enough to do some follies! Here is the ranking of the 10 best paid NBA players, according to ESPN.
10. Devin Booker
The back of the Suns opens this top 10 with its $ 53,142. 264 Guaranteed for the 2025/26 season. At 29, Booker is experiencing a really contrasting career. Gracious, individually efficient scorer, its collective performance leaves more to be desired. Everything is not attributable to him of course, because Phoenix had the wonderful idea of associating him with Kevin during and Bradley Beal. Offensively impressive, this trio will never have worked. On the other hand, the three men will have succeeded in closing the finances of the cacti over several years.
Bradley Beal has now been cut and Kévin during the Rockets project. For the first time in a long time, Devin Booker will finally occupy the role of undisputed Player of his team!
9. Jayson Tatum
If Beal is the worst contract on the list, Tatum is surely the most unlucky. A post shared by Boston Celtics, who will pay a salary of more than $ 54 million, for a player who will not spend a second of the season on a parquet floor.
Victim of a rupture of the Achilles tendon last May against the Knicks, the number 0 of the C’S is out until the end of 2026 minimum. To get out of the second APRON and avoid important taxes next season, Boston had to separate from Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Now the goal is clear in the Green House: betting everything on the Jay’s! At least, when the two are again associated in the field.
8. Anthony Davis
In the eighth position is the neo franchise Player of Mavs. Anthony Davis will earn very exactly 54. 126. 450 dollars in the year 2025/26. Difficult to have an opinion based on the real impact of the first choice of the Draft 2012, as AD missed games last season.
Only 11 games disputed under the Texan colors for the strong winger, the fault of concerns of recurring injuries. The story of his career. Nevertheless, LeBron James’ former right -hand man, when he is in good shape, is part of this caste of players capable of winning matches alone. Only health is missing!
7. Jimmy Butler III
Question salary, the warriors are never cold in the eyes! Recruiting a 35 -year -old Jimmy Butler that costs more than $ 54m this season ($ 54,126,450 to be precise) may seem like a risky bet, but the residents of the Oakland bay are customary because. Nevertheless, time is running out, because even if his arrival undoubtedly improved the team level, the winger, a double NBA finalist with the Heat, will be at the end of the contract in the summer of 2027. He will then be 38 years old and impossible to know at what level the septuple All-Star will evolve (again). The bet is daring, the future will tell us if it was paying.
6. Luka Doncic
The first European in the list, Luka Donteic will receive exactly the same salary as Butler and that Anthony Davis, against whom he was exchanged on February 1. Chance does things well! With LeBron James’ salary renegotiation, which will receive 52.6m next season, the Lakers have an elite duo, sportingly and financially! But in the “Wild West”, Luka Magic and a forty-something choosen one will be enough to stay in race until June?
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freek opens the top 5 of this ranking! Fresh bronze medalist at the Eurobasket, Giannis will receive the same salary as the 4 players cited before him. His contract runs until 2028, will he have a chance of title by then? Lillard is gone, Brook Lopez too, Myles Turner arrived to support number 34 in the racket. Sportingly, the alliance seems ideal. But is it with Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr that Milwaukee can imagine relive the emotions of 2021?
4. Kevin Durant
For the last year of its contract, the 2014 MVP will receive 54,708.609m in dollars. After a firecracker wet in Arizona, KD arrives in Houston, to support a new generation of rockets ready to take off. With the defending finalist of the Eurobasket, Alperen Sengun, as the right arm, the offensive tandem of the Rockets is scary. Destination Moon!
3. Nikola Jokic
NBA’s best paid European player is therefore the pivot of Nuggets! $ 55.2m for triple MVP, a justified tarot in view of the demential contribution of the Serb. The Joker is surely the most valuable player in the League and with the reinforcements of Cameron Johnson and Bruce Brown, the nuggets seem ready to go up on the highest step of the podium. The Thunder has concerns to be done!
2. Joel Embiid
Same salary for the dolphin of this classification, a place that will be debated. Some find the pivot of the 76ers surpass, others defend the choice of the Pennsylvanian franchise.
Joël Embiid is a fabulous player, unstoppable when he is 100%. But like Anthony Davis, eighth in this ranking, the Olympic champion spends too much time at the infirmary.
Last season, Embiid suffered a lot physically. Only 19 games on the clock, the fault of a recurring knee problem. From now on, Embiid must bounce back, have a full season and find a stable knee. Can he finally take the 76ers to the conference final? Within a East Coast Where the cadors are rare, the timing could prove to be excellent if the stars align!
1 Stephen Curry
Unsurprisingly, NBA’s best paid player is Stephen Wardell Curry. A place he has occupied for many years already. Next season, Baby Face will touch $ 59.6m, the 60m bar will be crossed the following year.
Between their leader at number 30 and Jimmy Bulter, Golden State will therefore spend more than 110m (around 60% of the authorized CAP) over two players already beyond 35 years. An all the more worrying observation if Draymond Green (35) added to the equation. Steve Kerr will have to skillfully manage his rotations if he does not want to end up with a burnt roster at the time of the playoffs. It is to wonder if the Warriors leaders are not fighting more against time than anything else, in Frisco, one thing is certain, success must be immediate!
| Ranking of the best paid NBA players (according to ESPN) | Salary on the 2025/26 season |
|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | $59,606,817 |
| Joel Embiid | $55,224,526 |
| Nikola Jokic | $55,224,526 |
| Kevin Durant | $54,708,609 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | $54,126,450 |
| Luka Doncic | $54,126,450 |
| Jimmy Butler III | $54,126,450 |
| Anthony Davis | $54,126,450 |
| Jayson Tatum | $54,126,450 |
| Devin Booker | $53,142,264 |
Credit: © Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
