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While the NBA has faced some criticism on a few fronts in recent years, including its presentation of the Finals, the financial arrow continues to point upward for players.
Salaries have ballooned over the past decade, and a lucrative new TV deal set to take effect starting with the upcoming season ensures the money will keep flowing for the foreseeable future.
A new wave of young players and veterans alike will sign massive new contracts before the start of the 2025-26 season, though many won't take effect until at least the 2026-27 season. Some extensions signed in previous years, meanwhile, are taking effect for the first time in 2025.
Here's a look at the highest-paid players for the 2025-26 season and the largest NBA contracts overall.
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NBA's 25 highest-paid players in 2025-26
Stephen Curry is once again the NBA's highest-paid player in terms of cap hit in 2025-26, coming in at $59.61 million for the Warriors. Golden State also has another hefty cap hit in Jimmy Butler, who is tied with Jayson Tatum as the fifth highest-paid player in the NBA.
The top of the leaderboard is littered with former MVPs. Curry, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant rank 1-4 with a combined seven MVPs to their name, while Giannis Antetokounmpo is tied for seventh at $54.13 million.
One MVP not in the top 25 is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is only set to count for $38.33 million against the cap in 2025-26 but is due for a new contract soon with his current deal expiring in 2027.
MORE: How NBA free agency works
Here is the full leaderboard:
| Rank | Player | Team | Cap hit |
| 1 | Stephen Curry | Warriors | $59.61 million |
| 2 | Joel Embiid | 76ers | $55.22 million |
| Nikola Jokic | Nuggets | $55.22 million | |
| 4 | Kevin Durant | Rockets | $54.71 million |
| 5 | Jayson Tatum | Celtics | $54.13 million |
| Jimmy Butler | Warriors | $54.13 million | |
| 7 | Anthony Davis | Mavericks | $54.13 million |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bucks | $54.13 million | |
| Damian Lillard | Bucks | $54.13 million | |
| 10 | Bradley Beal | Suns | $53.66 million |
| 11 | Devin Booker | Suns | $53.14 million |
| Jaylen Brown | Celtics | $53.14 million | |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Knicks | $53.14 million | |
| 14 | LeBron James | Lakers | $52.63 million |
| 15 | Paul George | 76ers | $51.67 million |
| 16 | Kawhi Leonard | Clippers | $50 million |
| 17 | Zach LaVine | Kings | $47.50 million |
| 18 | Cade Cunningham | Pistons | $46.39 million |
| Lauri Markkanen | Jazz | $46.39 million | |
| Donovan Mitchell | Cavaliers | $46.39 million | |
| Evan Mobley | Cavaliers | $46.39 million | |
| Jamal Murray | Nuggets | $46.39 million | |
| 23 | Luka Doncic | Lakers | $46 million |
| Trae Young | Hawks | $46 million | |
| 25 | Anthony Edwards | Timberwolves | $45.55 million |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Pacers | $45.55 million | |
| Pascal Siakam | Pacers | $45.55 million |
MORE: Ranking the best Knicks free agency targets
Richest contracts in the NBA
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The Celtics own the two largest contracts in the NBA in terms of total value, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown set to see their cap hits rise in the years ahead. Tatum signed a five-year, $313.9 million max extension in 2024, just two weeks after winning a championship.
Curry, meanwhile, only has the 14th-largest deal in terms of total value despite being the NBA's highest-paid player for 2025-26. That's because Curry's deal is only four years, and he is in the final year of it. Max contracts escalate by year, so the cap hits at the end of some of the contracts ranked above Curry's will also exceed his current cap hit down the line.
Two of the top-15 contracts are set to expire after the 2025-26 season: Curry's and Giannis Antetokounmpo's While it's tough to imagine any scenario other than Curry finishing his career with the Warriors, Antetokounmpo's future has been the subject of speculation, and he could have a clean break with the Bucks in 2026 if he wanted one.
MORE: NBA Draft grades for every team
Here's the complete list:
| Rank | Player | Team | Years signed | Years | Value |
| 1 | Jayson Tatum | Celtics | 2025-30 | 5 | $313.9 million |
| 2 | Jaylen Brown | Celtics | 2024-29 | 5 | $285.4 million |
| 3 | Nikola Jokic | Nuggets | 2023-28 | 5 | $276.1 million |
| 4 | Cade Cunningham | Pistons | 2025-30 | 5 | $269.1 million |
| Evan Mobley | Cavaliers | 2025-30 | 5 | $269.1 million | |
| 6 | Bradley Beal | Suns | 2022-27 | 5 | $251.0 million |
| 7 | Anthony Edwards | Timberwolves | 2024-29 | 5 | $244.6 million |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Pacers | 2024-29 | 5 | $244.6 million | |
| 9 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bucks | 2021-26 | 5 | $222.8 million |
| 10 | Franz Wagner | Magic | 2025-30 | 5 | $224.2 million |
| 11 | Scottie Barnes | Raptors | 2025-30 | 5 | $224.2 million |
| 12 | Devin Booker | Suns | 2024-28 | 4 | $220.4 million |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Knicks | 2024-28 | 4 | $220.4 million | |
| 14 | Stephen Curry | Warriors | 2022-26 | 4 | $215.3 million |
| 15 | Luka Doncic | Lakers | 2022-27 | 5 | $215.2 million |
| Zach LaVine | Kings | 2022-27 | 5 | $215.2 million | |
| Trae Young | Hawks | 2022-27 | 5 | $215.2 million |
There are 24 contracts worth at least $200 million in the NBA, and that figure will almost certainly rise before the start of the 2025-26 season.
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