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Highest-Paid NBA Players, 2020 to 2026

Stephen Curry's base salary reached $59.6 million in 2025-26, the NBA's highest, up from $40.2 million in 2019-20, when he also led the league.

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What the data shows

  • In 2026, Stephen Curry ranks #1 with $59,606,817, ahead of Joel Embiid ($55,224,526) and Nikola Jokić ($55,224,526).
  • Stephen Curry holds #1 for the whole period, 2020 to 2026.
  • Biggest climber: Giannis Antetokounmpo, from #6 in 2022 to #4 in 2026.
  • Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo weren't on the board in 2020 but are in the top 5 by 2026.

About this chart

Stephen Curry tops the NBA pay scale in every season charted, and his base salary climbed from $40.2 million in 2019-20 to $59.6 million in 2025-26, the highest single-season figure in the data. The Wikipedia list the chart draws on reports that he has been the league's highest-paid player every season since 2017-18.

Behind him in 2025-26, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic tied for second at $55.2 million each. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis and Jayson Tatum were tied at $54.1 million, and Kevin Durant earned $53.3 million. Figures are Spotrac base salary only, with no bonuses or endorsements. Each season's source list covers roughly the top 10 or 11 salaries, so a blank means a player fell outside it.

The data

Source: Spotrac NBA salary rankings (cap base salary), as compiled in Wikipedia's 'List of highest-paid NBA players by season'. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Column = year the season ends (2026 = 2025-26). Each season's source list covers only about the top 10-11 salaries, so a blank means the player was outside that list, not unpaid. Earlier seasons are omitted because the Wikipedia list mixes sources (ESPN, HoopsHype, Spotrac). Base salary only, excluding bonuses and endorsements. The 2026-27 season (Curry $62.6M, Jokic $59.0M) had begun by Nov 2026 and is excluded.

Highest-Paid NBA Players, Base salary per season, $, top earners 2019-20 to 2025-26, 2020–2026
Date🇺🇸 Stephen Curry🇨🇲 Joel Embiid🇷🇸 Nikola Jokić🇬🇷 Giannis Antetokounmpo🇺🇸 Kevin Durant🇺🇸 Paul George🇺🇸 Kawhi Leonard🇺🇸 LeBron James🇺🇸 Bradley Beal🇺🇸 Damian Lillard🇺🇸 James Harden🇺🇸 Russell Westbrook🇺🇸 Chris Paul
2020$40,231,758$38,199,000$33,005,556$37,436,858$38,199,000$38,506,482$38,506,482
2021$43,006,362$40,108,950$35,450,412$39,219,566$41,254,920$41,358,814$41,358,814
2022$45,780,966$39,344,900$42,018,900$39,344,900$39,344,900$41,180,544$39,344,900$44,310,840$44,211,146
2023$48,070,014$42,492,492$44,124,845$42,492,492$42,492,492$44,474,988$43,279,250$42,492,492
2024$51,915,615$47,607,350$47,607,350$45,640,084$47,649,433$45,640,084$45,640,084$47,607,350$46,741,590$45,640,084
2025$55,761,216$51,415,938$51,415,938$49,883,267$51,179,021$49,205,800$49,205,800$50,203,930
2026$59,606,817$55,224,526$55,224,526$54,126,450$53,282,608

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Frequently asked questions

Who is the highest-paid NBA player?

Stephen Curry is the highest-paid NBA player, with a base salary of about $59.6 million in the 2025-26 season. Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic tied for second at about $55.2 million. Figures come from Spotrac and cover base salary only.

Who was the second-highest-paid NBA player in 2022-23?

LeBron James was second in 2022-23 at about $44.5 million, behind Stephen Curry at about $48.1 million. In the following season, 2023-24, Curry's salary was about $51.9 million.

How much has the top NBA salary risen since 2019-20?

The top NBA base salary rose from about $40.2 million in 2019-20 to about $59.6 million in 2025-26. Curry earned the top figure in each of the seven seasons shown, and these are nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Where does this data come from?

Spotrac NBA salary rankings (cap base salary), as compiled in Wikipedia's 'List of highest-paid NBA players by season'. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Column = year the season ends (2026 = 2025-26). Each season's source list covers only about the top 10-11 salaries, so a blank means the player was outside that list, not unpaid. Earlier seasons are omitted because the Wikipedia list mixes sources (ESPN, HoopsHype, Spotrac). Base salary only, excluding bonuses and endorsements. The 2026-27 season (Curry $62.6M, Jokic $59.0M) had begun by Nov 2026 and is excluded. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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