Top 10 Highest-Paid Players in NBA History

Steph Curry got paid on Friday night.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Curry agreed to sign a two-year contract extension with the Warriors worth $116 million that includes a player option for the 2028–29 season. Curry took about $20 million less than his maximum salary, which leaves the Warriors with anywhere between $38 million and $55 million to work with next summer, depending on what they decide to do with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.

The agreement marks the end of a very uneventful contract negotiation. It was only a matter of time. Curry, who was entering the 2026–27 campaign on the final year of his contract before the extension, has consistently said he wants to retire a Warrior, and Golden State would be foolish to ever let him walk. Now, both sides can move forward with less than a month before the season opener.

While it freed up cap space for the Warriors down the road, the new deal also made Curry the highest-paid player in NBA history. Here’s that full top-10 list—with all numbers courtesy of Spotrac and including all salaries through the 2030–31 season.

1. Steph Curry (career earnings: $649 million)

Curry will not only be the highest-paid player this season at $62.6 million, he also is now the highest-paid player in NBA history based on career earnings. A career that began with a four-year, $12.7 million contract as the No. 7 pick in the 2009 draft has now raked in well over a half-billion dollars. And, of course, the four-time champion is worth every penny. He’s now locked in to stay with Golden State for his 18th, 19th and (if he exercises the 2028–29 player option) 20th NBA seasons.

2. Kevin Durant ($591 million)

Unlike Curry, Durant has bounced around between five NBA teams over his Hall of Fame career. Durant, who will turn 38 on Sept. 29, will be paid $43.9 million this season and has a $46.1 million player option with the Rockets for 2027–28. He could make a run at Curry’s highest-paid crown by extending his deal before next season.

3. LeBron James ($589 million)

James comes in third on this list despite taking the biggest year-over-year pay cut in NBA history, slicing his $52.6 million salary with the Lakers last season into a $3.9 million payday with Philadelphia for the 2026–27 campaign. LeBron also has a $4.1 million player option for next season. He’ll turn 42 in December.

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4. Kawhi Leonard ($541 million)

So, uh, yeah, that $700,000 fine Leonard had to pay as a penalty for his role in the Clippers’ salary cap circumvention scandal won’t make a dent in his bank account. After fleeing Los Angeles for Toronto via trade, Leonard recently signed a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the Raptors that includes a $58.9 million player option in 2028–29. The board man gets paid, indeed.

5. Devin Booker ($520 million)

Booker is the first player on this list without a championship or Finals MVP award on his résumé. Not a bad gig if you can get it. Last July, Booker signed a two-year, $145 million max contract extension with the Suns that will keep him in Phoenix through the 2029–30 season—the highest annual extension salary ($72.5 million) in NBA history.

6. Paul George ($517 million)

Paul George and Mike Conley — The Celtics held an introductory press conference for George and Mike Conley earlier this month. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Speaking of players without a ring, here comes George. Entering his 17th NBA season—and first with the Celtics—George has made over a half-billion dollars on the court. He earned most of that cheddar with the Clippers from 2019 to ’24. George will make $54 million this season and has can hit the open market next summer unless he opts in to his $56.6 million player option for 2027–28.

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7. Donovan Mitchell ($514 million)

Mitchell enters the 2026–27 season as the highest-paid player on one of the NBA’s most expensive rosters in Cleveland. In July, Mitchell signed a four-year deal worth $273 million—which includes an estimated $76 million player option for 2030–31.

8. Joel Embiid ($509 million)

Embiid has trusted the process the entire way to the exclusive $500 million club. Embiid will make about $58 million this season, and his salary bumps up to $62.6 million in 2027–28 and again the following year via a $67.3 million player option. The 76ers are hoping that he can stay on the court.

9. James Harden ($508 million)

Harden declined his player option for the 2026–27 season and signed a three-year deal worth $97 million with the Cavaliers in August. While his $30 million salary for 2026–27 allowed the Cavs to be flexible this offseason, paying a 39-year-old Harden nearly $34 million two years from now seems ... not ideal.

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10. Anthony Davis ($485 million)

Just falling short of the $500 million club is Davis, who is on the books for $58.4 million this season with the Wizards, and has a $62.8 million player option for 2027–28. He made nearly $200 million of his career earnings with the Lakers from 2019 to ’25.

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