The amount of money that NBA players command for salaries is almost unfathomable and are numbers that people can only dream about – even if they can’t understand exactly how much that amount of money is. I mean, the idea of earning $30 million dollars in one year is absolutely ridiculous and is an embarrassing amount of wealth. Even if taxes cuts that number in half, at that point of wealth, nothing tangible and material is out of of your reach.

With that one annual paycheck, you could buy two very nice homes in New York and Miami, purchase a few cars, take care of your immediate family, go on a couple luxurious holidays, and live your life very comfortably and still have millions left over.  

According to ESPN, there is 30 NBA players that will have earned salaries of $30 million by the time the final buzzer sounds on April 13. Twenty-seven will have pulled in at least $40 million, with five NBA players earning an even more jaw-dropping $50 million or more from their NBA salary in 2024-25.

Stephen Curry – $55,761,216

Anyone who knows how to bet on NBA games online knows that successful, winning teams have a player who can create chances and score points from anywhere on the court. Stephen Curry would tick every box if you were making the perfect basketball player. During his 16-season career, Curry has amassed almost 25,000 points and is closing in on 8,500 field goals and 4,000 three-pointers. He has more than 6,400 assists and 4,700 rebounds, and that is during the regular seasons alone.

Curry became the highest-paid NBA player in 2017 when his starting payout was $34,682,550. In the 2019-20, Curry became the first player to eclipse $40 million and the first to reach $50 million in the 2023-24 season. He should also be the first player to earn $60 million in a single season thanks to signing a one-year contract extension worth a staggering $62,587,158 for the 2026-27 campaign. Curry will be 38 when the mega-money contract comes into play, but his earning potential is still off the charts.

Joel Embiid – $51,415,938

Joel Embiid’s NBA career did not get off to the best of starts. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Embiid as the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, Embiid did not really starting playing until the 2016-17 season due to a broken bone in his foot. Although Embiid missed two entire seasons, he exploded into action as a rookie and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team despite playing only 31 games.

Embiid signed a new five-year, $148 million contract in October 2017 and went on to have a few unstoppable seasons. After leading the scoring during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, the 76ers tied Embiid to a four-year, $213 million contract. He earned $47,607,350 last season and a cool $51,415,938 during the current season. After winning the league MVP, the seven-time NBA All-Star signed a three-year, $193 million extension with the 76ers in September 2024, which will see him earn more than $64 million in 2027-28 and over $69 million the following season. Whether Embiid receives those sums depends on whether or not he can stay fit because injuries have plagued his career so far.

Nikola Jokic – $51,415,938

Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, a Denver Nuggets franchise player, will earn $51,415,938 during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, ranking him joint second in the competition’s highest-paid rankings. Nobody, not even Jokic, would have expected him to command such a massive salary after being selected 41st overall in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, yet here he is.

Since making his Nuggets debut in 2015, Jokic has worked tirelessly to improve all aspects of his game. Since then, the 6 ft 11 in center has become an NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player three times, and an NBA All-Star for seven consecutive years from 2019 onward. Jokic’s latest five-year contract guarantees him $276,122,630. Jokic will receive over $51 million this season, with the deal topping out at $62,841,702 during the 2027-28 season. The Serbian will still only be 32 when his deal expires, so expect another gargantuan contract to come his way in the near future.

Kevin Durant – $51,179,021

Players with a knack for scoring points will always be highly sought after by basketball teams. Kevin Durant is one such player. He’s scored more than his fair share of points for the Seattle Supersonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and the Phoenix Suns. At the time of writing, Durant has 30,109 points in the NBA, ranking him eighth in the competition’s all-time rankings. Durant has often been referred to the best scorer in NBA history and his career average of 27.2 points per game since making his NBA debut in 2007 backs that claim. Durant is three years into a four-year, $194 million contract. His salary for this season is $51,179,021, rising to $54,708,609. Will the Suns offer Durant an extension when this contract expires? He will be 37 years old, but his scoring ability does not appear to wane.

Bradley Beal – $50,203,930

It seems like ages since the Washington Wizards selected Bradley Beal as the third overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. In Washington, Beal became a fan favorite and, like a fine wine, seemed to get better with age. In January 2021, Beal scored a career-high 60 points during a 141-136 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored at least 25 points in 17 consecutive games that season. His free-scoring during the 2020-21 regular season saw Beal average 31.3 points per game, the second-most in the league that season while setting a Wizards franchise record.

Beal signed a five-year, $251 million contract with the Wizards in July 2022. However, the Phoenix Suns are paying Beal that incredible sum because he joined them in a package involving picks and players. The Suns are paying Beal $50,203,930 during this campaign, with him earning $57,128,610 in 2026-27, which is when his current deal expires.

The NBA’s five highest-paid stars for the 2024-25 regular season will see a combined $259,976,043 land in their bank accounts. Curry, Embiid, Jokic, KD, and Beal are the only five players earning at least $50 million (in salary) during the 2024-25 season. Amazingly, those numbers do not include endorsement and sponsorship deals. According to Forbes, Curry earned $52 million from his endorsement deals in 2022 alone, meaning these five NBA superstars are likely earning nine figures annually with everything considered.