On Friday, we listed the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2024/25 season. Although that list presented a clear picture of the highest earners for the current season, not every NBA team was represented. Four of the league’s 30 franchises – the Pistons, Magic, Spurs, and Wizards – didn’t have a single player in the top 50.
Our list of highest-paid players for 2024/25 also only provided a snapshot for this year. For example, Ben Simmons, who cracked the top 25, will certainly be well compensated for the coming season, but he’s on an expiring contract and will fall off that list next year after reaching free agency.
Today, we’re shifting our focus to the highest-paid players by team. This will allow us to check in on the clubs that weren’t represented on our initial list, as well as identifying some of the league’s most lucrative multiyear commitments — we’ve included each club’s highest-paid player for the current season (by 2024/25 base salary) and its highest-paid player in total (by total base salary, including player options but not team options).
Let’s dive in…
Atlanta Hawks
- 2024/25: Trae Young ($43,031,940)
- Total: Trae Young (three years, $137,998,980)
- Note: Young’s final year is a player option.
- Note: Young’s final year is a player option.
Boston Celtics
- 2024/25: Jaylen Brown ($49,205,800)
- Total: Jayson Tatum (six years, $348,781,750)
- Note: The projected value of Tatum’s super-max extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26; Tatum’s final year is a player option.
- Note: The projected value of Tatum’s super-max extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26; Tatum’s final year is a player option.
Brooklyn Nets
- 2024/25: Ben Simmons ($40,338,144)
- Total: Nic Claxton (four years, $97,000,000)
- Note: Claxton could earn another $3MM in incentives.
- Note: Claxton could earn another $3MM in incentives.
Charlotte Hornets
- 2024/25: LaMelo Ball ($35,147,000)
- Total: LaMelo Ball (five years, $203,852,600)
Chicago Bulls
- 2024/25: Zach LaVine ($43,031,940)
- Total: Zach LaVine (three years, $137,998,980)
- Note: LaVine’s final year is a player option.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2024/25: Darius Garland ($36,725,670)
- Total: Evan Mobley (six years, $235,465,807)
- Note: The projected value of Mobley’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $280,313,437 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria.
Dallas Mavericks
- 2024/25: Luka Doncic ($43,031,940)
- Total: Luka Doncic (three years, $137,998,980)
- Note: Doncic’s final year is a player option.
Denver Nuggets
- 2024/25: Nikola Jokic ($51,415,938)
- Total: Nikola Jokic (four years, $228,515,280)
- Note: Jokic’s final year is a player option.
- Note: Jokic’s final year is a player option.
Detroit Pistons
- 2024/25: Tobias Harris ($25,365,854)
- Total: Cade Cunningham (six years, $238,178,959)
- Note: The projected value of Cunningham’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $283,026,589 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria.
Golden State Warriors
- 2024/25: Stephen Curry ($55,761,216)
- Total: Stephen Curry (three years, $177,955,191)
Houston Rockets
- 2024/25: Fred VanVleet ($42,846,615)
- Total: Dillon Brooks (three years, $63,372,330)
- Note: Brooks could earn another $3MM in incentives.
- Note: VanVleet would earn $87,733,545 over the next two years if his 2025/26 team option is exercised, but he’s currently only owed $42,846,6165 in guaranteed money.
Indiana Pacers
2024/25: Tyrese Haliburton / Pascal Siakam ($42,176,400)- Total: Tyrese Haliburton (five years, $244,623,120)
Los Angeles Clippers
- 2024/25: Kawhi Leonard ($49,205,800)
- Total: Kawhi Leonard (three years, $149,505,800)
Los Angeles Lakers
- 2024/25: LeBron James ($48,728,845)
- Total: Anthony Davis (four years, $229,859,295)
- Note: Davis’ final year is a player option.
- Note: Davis’ final year is a player option.
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2024/25: Ja Morant ($36,725,670)
- Total: Desmond Bane (five years, $197,230,450)
- Note: Bane could earn another $6,622,150 in incentives.
- Note: Bane could earn another $6,622,150 in incentives.
Miami Heat
- 2024/25: Jimmy Butler ($48,798,677)
- Total: Bam Adebayo (five years, $240,215,227)
- Note: Adebayo’s final year is a player option.
Milwaukee Bucks
- 2024/25: Damian Lillard / Giannis Antetokounmpo ($48,787,676)
- Total: Giannis Antetokounmpo (four years, $224,157,374)
- Note: The projected value of Antetokounmpo’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26; Antetokounmpo’s final year is a player option.
- Note: The projected value of Antetokounmpo’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26; Antetokounmpo’s final year is a player option.
Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2024/25: Karl-Anthony Towns ($49,205,800)
- Total: Anthony Edwards (five years, $244,623,120)
New Orleans Pelicans
- 2024/25: Zion Williamson ($36,725,670)
- Total: Zion Williamson (four years, $163,225,200)
- Note: The final three years of Williamson’s contract are reportedly no longer fully guaranteed. Dejounte Murray (four years, $122,865,517, plus incentives and a fourth-year player option) is the Pelicans’ second-highest paid player.
New York Knicks
- 2024/25: OG Anunoby ($36,637,932)
- Total: OG Anunoby (five years, 212,500,000)
- Note: Anunoby’s final year is a player option.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2024/25: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($35,859,950)
- Total: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (three years, $114,999,150)
Orlando Magic
- 2024/25: Jonathan Isaac ($25,000,000)
- Total: Franz Wagner (six years, $231,245,242)
- Note: The projected value of Wagner’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $276,092,872 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria.
- Note: The projected value of Wagner’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $276,092,872 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria.
Philadelphia 76ers
2024/25: Joel Embiid ($51,415,938)- Total: Paul George (four years, $211,584,940)
- Note: George’s final year is a player option.
Phoenix Suns
- 2024/25: Bradley Beal ($50,203,930)
- Note: Kevin Durant has a lower base salary ($49,856,021) than Beal, but could exceed Beal’s salary in 2024/25 if he earns his likely incentives ($1,323,000).
- Total: Devin Booker (four years, $220,441,984)
Portland Trail Blazers
- 2024/25: Deandre Ayton ($34,005,126)
- Total: Jerami Grant (four years, $132,413,793)
- Note: Grant’s final year is a player option.
Sacramento Kings
- 2024/25: Domantas Sabonis ($39,200,000)
- Note: Sabonis could earn another $2.6MM in incentives.
- Total: Domantas Sabonis (four years, $175,616,000)
- Note: Sabonis could earn another $10.4MM in incentives.
San Antonio Spurs
- 2024/25: Devin Vassell ($29,347,826)
- Note: Vassell could earn another $2,391,303 in incentives.
- Total: Devin Vassell (five years, $135,000,000)
- Note: Vassell could earn another $11MM in incentives.
- Note: Vassell could earn another $11MM in incentives.
Toronto Raptors
- 2024/25: Immanuel Quickley ($32,500,000)
- Note: Quickley could earn another $2.5MM in incentives.
- Total: Scottie Barnes (six years, $234,369,130)
- Note: The projected value of Barnes’ maximum-salary extension is based on a $154,647,000 salary cap for 2025/26. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $279,216,760 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria.
Utah Jazz
- 2024/25: Lauri Markkanen ($42,176,400)
- Total: Lauri Markkanen (five years, $238,044,544)
Washington Wizards
- 2024/25: Jordan Poole ($29,651,786)
- Note: Poole could earn another $3.75MM in incentives.
- Total: Jordan Poole (three years, $95,544,643)
- Note: Poole could earn another $11.25MM in incentives.
Is Evan Mobley that good?
Is Dame $50,000,000 good?
Mobley getting paid for what he could be
Dame what he was
” Ben Simmons, who cracked the top 25, will certainly be well compensated for the coming season, but he’s on an expiring contract and will fall off that list next year …”
He certainly will fall off that list, and it’s about time.
I have often wondered to what degree salary jealousy plays into team chemistry, or lack of it, rather. More often than not.
If the NBA ever stops guaranteed contracts, Ben Simmons will be one reason why. Despite whatever legitimate physical injuries and mental health issues he may have had, he’s otherwise committed fraud for several years. Hell, even when KD and Kyrie said no to the bubble, they still raked in all that money. There should be more performance-required criteria to make all this money, or more injury protection. Like when Klay got hurt twice, he still got that 30-something million. That’s just ridiculous. Can’t even start mentioning Kawhi. Dude has got away with murder.
Tobias says hello.
Yeah, there are always cases that make the rule look bad. But it exists for a reason. Also, performance clauses already exist.
Players get guaranteed money because they (generally) can’t control an injury or it’s severity. Some players might abuse it, but on the other hand basketball is a relatively dangerous sport. Who is going to take that risk without some type of guarantee? And why should they? To save some billionaire a few bucks?
looking over that list of say that about half of the teams aren’t getting value out of their highest paid player. Ben Simmons absolutely had his limitations pre-injury, but the seriousness of his injury gets ignored cos he’s not really a likeable guy. it’s a shame that we’re unlikely to ever see what he could have been.
There never was a what-could-have-been for Ben Simmons.
By refusing to shoot against the imposing Trae Young, Simmons got himself exposed.
Wild that Anunoby takes both slots for the Knicks. I think Randle and Bridges will follow Jalen’s lead by extending at the right time for the FO to optimize roster construction.