NBA

Top-25 Highest Paid NBA Players In 2023: Steph Curry Leads The List

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Antonio Kozlow
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Antonio Kozlow Sports Editor

Antonio is a life long sports enthusiast and professional journalist, who shares an obssesive urge to find and dig up the most interesting facts to guide gamblers towards more exciting, yet safe bets. In his own words, ''you can never really know enough about the things you love''.

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Sports Editor

Updated18 Oct 2023

Warriors Stephen Curry has scored 126 points this postseason, only two players age 35 or older have scored more

It seems as if most teams finally defined their rosters and are playing their final preseason contests to tuneup last details and are ready to begin this upcoming NBA campaign. During the summer, whoever changed teams are probably already settled in their new city and most of those who needed their contract extended, have inked new long-term deals with their clubs. 

We prepared a list of the highest-paid players alongside short explanations of each of their contracts ahead of the 2023/24 season. Here are the top 25 (technically 26) richest athletes in the league:

T-24. Kristaps Porzingis – $36 million

The Latvian star recently landed in Boston through a three-team trade with the Wizards and Grizzlies after stacking up the best stats of his career last season in Washington. Porzingis, who will now contribute to the Celtics cause as a prolific-offensive center next to Jayson Tatum, just signed a two-year, $60 million extension.

T-24. Karl-Anthony Towns – $36 million

Last summer, the Timberwolves secured Karl-Anthony Towns to a historic four-year, $224 million supermax extension which made him the team’s highest salary.

The versatile big man hopes to remain healthy this season after a calf strain limited him to just 29 matches last year and prove he can dominate the NBA next to teammate center Rudy Gobert.

T-24. Devin Booker – $36 million

As part of roster that has suffered constant change in the past year, Devin Booker is probably the only constant guarantee in the Phoenix camp. The 26-year-old has witnessed the departure of Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, just as he’s now enjoying the company of superstars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Just as Towns, the young point guard also signed a $224 million supermax deal last year and is set to lead the Suns to their first title in decades.

23. Jrue Holiday – $36.8 million

Many became tangled up in Damian Lillard’s three-team blockbuster trade that took him to Milwaukee, as Jrue finally ended up in Boston and is now ready to contend for the title. Despite the fact that Bucks fan received the ex-Portland star, they can’t help but miss Holiday who was an essential part of the 2021 championship title.

22. Kyrie Irving – $37 million

Kyrie Irving surprised all this year when he left Brooklyn mid-season and ended up next to Luka Doncic’s Mavericks in February. Unfortunately for them, Dallas couldn’t find their steps being led by the star duo and failed to qualify to the playoffs last season. Now, after signing a three-year, $124 million deal in Texas, the veteran guard hopes to tune his chemistry with the Slovenian international and guide his franchise to the top.

T-20. Ben Simmons – $37.8 million

Ever since Simmons departed from Philadelphia, he’s struggled to find his best version in Brooklyn. It’s already been a couple of years since the Australian recovered from a complicated injury, but he hasn’t been able to straighten his mind and body to return to his former All-Star form.

The guard expects finally to honor his contract with the Nets this 2023/24 season after a healthy and consistent summer.

T-20. Pascal Siakam – $37.8 million

Siakam is not only one of the most experienced players in the Raptors roster, this year he’s already one of the oldest in the Canadian squad at age 29. The power forward is one of the last remaining pieces of that famous 2019 championship squad and the highest-paid athlete in the Toronto team. In the past two years, he’s led the squad in minutes played and expects to do the same this campaign.

19. Tobias Harris – $39.3 million

Another player who will be under scrutiny as he enters the 2023/24 season’s courts this month will be Tobias Harris, who is yet to play up to the level he’s being paid in Philadelphia. The 31-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and needs to power up his performances if he wishes to remain a Sixers player for years to come.

T-16. Zach LaVine – $40 million

In the past, the Bulls have failed to sign complimentary pieces around LaVine to bring out the best in their star player. Unfortunately, Lonzo Ball was expected to contribute to this cause but has fallen to season-ending injuries. This upcoming campaign, the two-time All-Star hopes to guide Chicago back into the playoffs and honor his millionaire contract.

T-16. Trae Young – $40 million

No doubt that Trae Young is Atlanta’s star player, but there’s been a lot of talk through the years if he’s actually a good fit for the Hawks locker room.

Besides being a prolific guard, he’s yet to prove himself in the defensive side of the floor and needs better players around him to build a true title-contending team in Georgia. The truth is, he has all the talent in the world and the franchise remains confident in the reasons behind his five-year, $215 million max contract.

T-16. Luka Doncic – $40 million

Half a season with Kyrie Irving was enough to get Luka Doncic to sign the his extension in Dallas. Now the Slovenian star is headed towards earning a historic supermax deal in a few years and is dubbed by fans and experts as one of the players destined to dominate the NBA in the near future. Only 24-years of age, the point guard believes that he’s tuned up the chemistry with his co-star during this preseason and are ready to contend for the NBA title.

15. Anthony Davis – $40.6 million

Injuries are the only reason why Anthony Davis hasn’t been competing for the Kia MVP award in the past years, because at his peak there’s no doubt that he’s a top-five player in the league. After recently signing his extension in Los Angeles, the big man asked for a more versatile role inside the Lakers squad, and is expected to shoot from beyond the arc just as well as protect the rim.

Might this be the year that the veteran star can take the purple and gold back to 2020’s NBA glory?

14. Fred VanVleet $40.8 million

The former Raptor changed teams this summer and headed all the way down to Houston to get paid as he deserves. The new Rockets guard will receive $125.5 million over three years, with a guarantee he’ll get about $84 million. VanVleet is expected to lead a squad packed with young potential and other newcomers such as Dillon Brooks, taking the Texan franchise back to the playoffs for the first time since James Harden left.

13. Rudy Gobert – $41 million

Once an All-Star in Utah, the French international was heavily criticized this past campaign in Minnesota.

All, first of all, after signing such a big contract the expectations were high, but mostly, the Timberwolves built a whole strategy for their past campaign that never really got underway. Coach Chris Finch hoped to pair both Gobert and Towns as two big men in the starting lineup, but his fellow center got injured most of the season and remained a mystery if the plan would work. Both healthy, the strategy is expected to go as planned this season.

12. Klay Thompson – $43.2 million

A lot of speculation has surrounded the Golden State camp this summer, as Klay Thompson is yet to sign his extension in San Francisco. Up to this point, the Warriors have been able to keep their four-time championship core for a decade, and already has Stephen Curry and Draymond Green under contract for at least two more years. As he enters the last season of his deal, the veteran guard hopes to prove he still has what it takes to retire one day in the Bay Area.

11. Jimmy Butler – $45.2 million

The charismatic leader just keeps getting better year after year. This past season, he powered the eighth-seeded Heat all the way into the NBA Finals with outstanding playoff displays, but ended up losing to the Denver Nuggets.

Despite Miami missing out on trading in for Damian Lillard, just having Jimmy Butler on the team is reason enough to believe the South Beach franchise can contend for another title this campaign.

T-7. Damian Lillard – $45.6 million

The transfer saga of the summer finally came to an end some weeks ago, after Damian Lillard had requested a trade out of his beloved Trail Blazers, who he’d play with during his entire career. Despite remaining loyal for over a decade, the veteran simply wanted to have a real chance of contending for a title before retiring. Now that he’s been placed next to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, the Bucks hold the highest odds to conquer this season’s championship.

T-7. Giannis Antetokounmpo – $45.6 million

The Greek Freak has also been under the microscope this summer after failing to sign his extension in Milwaukee. Giannis said time after time that he wanted to make sure his team is truly investing in winning another championship before remaining with the Bucks, as winning the 2021 NBA title isn’t enough for his ambition.

Now that his front office traded in for Damian Lillard, he admitted that it brings him a but closer to staying in Wisconsin with a long-term deal.

T-7. Kawhi Leonard – $45.6 million

Throughout his time in the NBA, Kawhi has always had to deal with injuries. However, despite surviving two serious injuries at the start of his career, Leonard still managed to lead the Raptors to a title back in 2019. Ever since he landed in Los Angeles, he hasn’t had the same impact with his team when he’s needed the most: during the playoffs. This past campaign, he fell back to injury just as the Clippers were struggling in the postseason’s first round. Will the All-Star guard remain healthy this upcoming year?

T-7. Paul George – $45.6 million

Right next to Leonard on this list is teammate Paul George, who is also being paid the exact same amount of money across the next two years, and share a player option after this upcoming season.

However, injuries have kept them from playing the amount of games together that’s expected of them. Back luck, maybe? One thing that’s for sure is that this 2023/24 campaign will dictate if the Clippers’ core will remain as it is for years to come, or if one of their main stars must chose their luck elsewhere.

6. Bradley Beal – $46.7 million

One of the deals of the summer took Bradley Beal to a star-packed Phoenix roster who is expected to dominate the Western Conference this season. Alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the Suns franchise heavily invested in a team that can finally lead them to their first NBA title since their conception 54 years ago.

T-3. Joel Embiid – $47.6 million

Despite the fact that many fans and experts doubt Joel Embiid was worthy of last year’s MVP award, the Sixers center is out to prove himself once again. The thing is, no one really doubts his individual capabilities, but mostly question if he can actually lead Philadelphia through a championship run. With Tobias Harris and James Harden next to him, the international star expects a different outcome this season.

With a player option looming a few years down the road, maybe only an NBA ring will keep him from looking elsewhere for glory.

T-3. Nikola Jokic – $47.6 million

No one can really understand how the two-time league MVP didn’t earn this accolade a third time in a row, especially after dominated every single team in the playoffs and conquering Denver’s first-ever championship last year. Now, he’s out to solidify his claim as “the best player in the world” and prove the Nuggets roster is hungry for more this 2023/24 campaign. Jokic is locked down in Colorado for four more years, so we’ll be seeing plenty of the Serbian’s talent for seasons to come.

T-3. LeBron James – $47.6 million

Everything LeBron does from now on is nothing short of historic. The all-time NBA leading scorer is about to begin his 21st season as the oldest player in the league, and seems ready for everything but retiring.

The 38-year-old has not only remained the third-highest-paid athlete in the league, but is still leading the purple and gold despite him referencing teammate Anthony Davis as the true face of the Lakers squad. For James, this year will have the same ambition as every year, either championship or bust!

2. Kevin Durant – $47.65 million

Just like his former teammate Kyrie Irving, Durant left the Nets in the middle of last season out of pure frustration. His ambition also desires to keep contending for NBA titles even as a basketball veteran, and this was not the scenario in Brooklyn. Now that he’s made Phoenix his home and has been healthy through the summer, the All-Star hopes to conquer his third league title alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

1. Stephen Curry – $51.9 million

Stephen Curry has changed the face of the NBA forever. Not only did he revolutionize the sport with his unstoppable precision shooting from afar, he’s been the most successful player in terms of championships alongside Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.

He’s precisely the reason why the NBA created supermax extensions, as no other athlete has been more valuable to a single franchise that the veteran guard. Now with former rival Chris Paul by his side, Golden State hope to extend their legend to a fifth-NBA title before this Warriors core finally hangs up their boots.