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: $53,282,608Durant 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: $31,848,215Poole can earn another $3,750,000 in unlikely incentives.
Tyler Herro, Heat: $31,000,000Herro can earn another $2,500,000 in unlikely incentives.
Dejounte Murray, Pelicans: $26,783,568Murray 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.