In recent years, thanks to massive TV contracts, salaries in the NBA have exploded. $40 million a year is no longer uncommon. Here are the top earners of the 2022/23 season.
First of all: No advertising income is taken into account, instead only the income from the contracts with the teams is noted. Since there is a salary cap system in the USA, salaries must be disclosed. In some cases, players can get a little more money through various bonus payments.
Stephen Curry is again the top earner this season and has led this ranking since 2020. As of now, he will continue to do so until 2026, when his contract with the Warriors expires. The guard will rake in $59.6 million in the 2025-26 season. The following year the magic sound barrier of 60 million dollars a year will fall. Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) will then get a whopping $63.2 million if he exercises his player option for the year.
Incidentally, the top earner among German NBA players is Maxi Kleber, who received $9 million from the Dallas Mavericks in 2022/23 and in September 2022 prematurely extended his contract by three years to 2026. This will bring the Würzburger 11 million a year. The captain of the German national team, Dennis Schröder, has to be content with significantly less. The Braunschweig native signed a one-year contract for a minimum of $1.8 million in fall 2022.
If you want to find out about the salaries of all NBA players, can do this on Spotrac, among others. The website lists all salaries of NBA pros and all other “major leagues” in US sports.
NBA: These are the top earners in 2022/23
| Place | player (team) | Salary (in million dollars) | team | position |
| 1 | Stephen CurryWarriors | 48.1 | Golden State Warriors | Point Guard |
| 2 | LeBron James (Lakers) | 44.5 | Los Angeles Lakers | Forward |
| 3 | Kevin DurantSuns | 44.1 | Phoenix Suns | Forward |
| 4 | Bradley Beal (Wizards) | 43.3 | Washington Wizards | Guard |
| 5 | Paul GeorgeClippers | 42.5 | LA Clippers | Forward |
| 6 | Kawhi LeonardClippers | 42.5 | LA Clippers | Forward |
| 7 | Damian Lillard (blazers) | 42.5 | Portland Trail Blazers | Point Guard |
| 8th | Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) | 42.5 | Milwaukee Bucks | Forward |
| 9 | Klay Thompson (Warriors) | 40.6 | Golden State Warriors | Guard |
| 10 | Kyrie Irving (Mavericks) | 38.9 | Dallas Mavericks | Point Guard |
| 11 | Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves) | 38.2 | Minnesota Timberwolves | center |
| 12 | Anthony Davis (Lakers) | 38.0 | Los Angeles Lakers | center |
| 13 | Khris Middleton (Bucks) | 37.9 | Milwaukee Bucks | Forward |
| 14 | Jimmy ButlerHeat | 37.7 | Miami Heat | Forward |
| 15 | Tobias Harris (76ers) | 37.6 | Philadelphia 76ers | Forward |
| 16 | Zach LaVine (Bulls) | 37.1 | Chicago Bulls | Guard |
| 17 | Trae Young (Hawks) | 37.1 | Atlanta Hawks | Point Guard |
| 18 | Luka Doncic (Mavericks) | 37.1 | Dallas Mavericks | Guard |
| 19 | Ben Simmons (Nets) | 35.4 | Brooklyn Nets | Forward |
| 20 | Pascal Siakam (Raptors) | 35.4 | Toronto Raptors | Forward |
