The 2025-26 NBA season produced the largest contracts in basketball history, with 14 players earning over $50 million in base salary alone.
When endorsements are added, the top earners push well above $100 million annually, making the NBA’s elite the highest-paid team sport athletes in North America.
For more context, see our coverage of US Open 2026 Golf Shinnecock Hills.
Key Developments
The biggest contract development of the cycle was Jayson Tatum’s five-year, $313 million deal with the Boston Celtics, the largest by total value in
NBA history. Read also: US Open Golf 2026: Wyndham Clark Leads at Shinnecock Hills.
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Background and Context
Combined with Stephen Curry’s $62.6 million Warriors deal (the first NBA contract to exceed $60 million per season) and Nikola Jokic’s $59 million salary,
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the league is in an era of unprecedented player compensation.
What Experts Are Saying
LeBron James is the highest-paid player in the NBA on total earnings at $137.8 million in 2026, making him the fourth-highest-paid athlete in the world across all sports.
At 41, James has transcended being merely a basketball player to become one of the most valuable personal brands in the history of professional
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sports. See also: Stock Market June 18 2026: S&P 500 Rises on Iran Deal.
His Lakers salary accounts for approximately $50 million of the total.
The balance comes from his SpringHill production company (behind major films and documentaries), his Uninterrupted media platform, his Blaze Pizza investment, and a lifetime
Nike partnership estimated at over $1 billion in total value that generates significant annual royalty income.
James is also a minority investor in several sports franchises.
Stephen Curry became the first NBA player to earn over $60 million in base salary in a single season when he signed his one-year, $62.6 million Warriors deal.
His total earnings reach approximately $110 million when endorsements are included.
In June 2026, Curry ended his 13-year partnership with Under Armour and signed a landmark 10-year, $400 million deal with Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning,
one of the largest individual endorsement contracts in sports history.
Curry’s commercial portfolio reflects his identity as a global icon rather than just an American basketball star.
The two-time MVP and multiple NBA champion has built significant market reach in China, where basketball culture is deeply established and Li-Ning is a
major domestic competitor to Nike and Adidas.
Kevin Durant earns $103.8 million in total, ranking ninth on the Forbes overall highest-paid athletes list in 2026.
His Houston Rockets contract contributes approximately $50 million, with his Nike endorsement deal, Beats by Dre partnership, and Boardroom sports business media company generating the remainder.
Durant is widely regarded as one of the two or three greatest scorers in NBA history.
The Greek Freak earns $54.1 million in base salary from his three-year, $175.4 million Bucks contract signed in October 2023.
His global endorsement portfolio, anchored by Nike and leveraging his extraordinary international appeal across Europe and Africa, adds approximately $35 million, bringing his total to around $89 million.
Giannis was the 2021 NBA champion and two-time MVP.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is in the first year of the richest contract in NBA history by total value, a five-year, $313 million deal.
His 2025-26 season salary of approximately $62 million combined with his Jordan Brand ambassadorship and other endorsements puts his total near $80 million.
At 27, Tatum has both a championship ring (2024) and the financial infrastructure of a long-term NBA superstar.
Nikola Jokic earns $59 million in base salary with the Denver Nuggets, the highest base salary in the NBA for the 2025-26 season ahead of Curry’s $62.6 million.
Jokic’s endorsement income is notably understated for someone of his caliber, reflecting his low-key personality and preference for private life over commercial activity.
He remains one of the most undermarketed superstars in global sports relative to his playing achievements, which include three MVPs and an NBA title.
Joel Embiid ($55 million salary), Jimmy Butler ($54.1 million), Anthony Davis ($54.1 million), and Kawhi Leonard ($50 million) round out the top 10 by base salary.
All four benefit from additional endorsement income that pushes their total annual earnings into the $55 to $65 million range.
The cluster of salaries around $54 to $55 million reflects the NBA’s max contract structure, which limits individual salaries to a percentage of the salary cap.
With the cap rising each year, these figures represent the current ceiling for players in the highest eligibility tier, meaning several players earn identical or near-identical base salaries.
The 2025-26 season marks the first time 14 NBA players have simultaneously earned over $50 million in base salary.
The primary driver is the NBA’s media rights deal, which significantly increased the salary cap floor and ceiling.
The new deal with Amazon Prime Video, ESPN, and NBC, replacing the previous Turner Sports arrangement, is worth approximately $76 billion over 11 years
and began impacting the cap in the 2025-26 season.
By total earnings including endorsements, LeBron James is the highest-paid NBA player in 2026 at $137.8 million, making him the fourth-highest-paid athlete in the world.
By base salary alone, Stephen Curry leads at $62.6 million. Nikola Jokic has the highest cap hit at $59 million.
Kevin Durant ranks third in total earnings at $103.8 million.
Jayson Tatum’s five-year, $313 million contract with the Boston Celtics, signed ahead of the 2025-26 season, is the largest contract in NBA history by total value.
His annual salary of approximately $62 million places him among the top two or three earners in the league by base salary.
Stephen Curry’s endorsement earnings reached a new level in June 2026 when he signed a 10-year, $400 million deal with Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning
after ending his 13-year partnership with Under Armour.
Combined with other commercial partners, Curry earns approximately $50 million per year from endorsements, bringing his total 2026 earnings to around $110 million.
Sources: ESPN – NBA | NBA.com | CBS Sports – NBA
Sources and Further Reading
Learn more at TechCrunch.
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Learn more at Wired.
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