- Stephen Curry will make a league-leading $59.6 million during the 2025-26 season.
- Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid will earn $55.2 million.
- Kevin Durant will bring home $54.7 million.
The league’s top players tend to bring home a sizeable salary each season.
Their main objective is to help their teams win games, thus improving their championship basketball odds at sports betting sites.
With that in mind, who are the 11 highest-paid NBA players for the 2025-26 season? Let’s find out.
11 Highest-Paid NBA Players in 2025-26, Ranked
| Ranking | Player | Team | 2025-2026 Salary |
| 1 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | $59,606,817 |
| T-2 | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets | $55,224,526 |
| T-2 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | $55,224,526 |
| 4 | Kevin Durant | Houston Rockets | $54,708,608 |
| T-5 | Jimmy Butler | Golden State Warriors | $54,126,450 |
| T-5 | Anthony Davis | Dallas Mavericks | $54,126,450 |
| T-5 | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | $54,126,450 |
| T-5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | $54,126,450 |
| T-9 | Karl-Anthony Towns | New York Knicks | $53,142,264 |
| T-9 | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | $53,142,264 |
| T-9 | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | $53,142,264 |
Who Are the Highest-Paid NBA Players?
1. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors): $59.6 Million
Stephen Curry is a two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion, earning Finals MVP in 2022.
Curry is the only player to make at least 4,000 3-pointers, as his impact has helped the Golden State Warriors capitalise on their short NBA Finals odds numerous times.
T-2. Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets): $55.2 Million
Nikola Jokić is a three-time MVP and helped the Denver Nuggets win it all in 2023, earning Finals MVP honours.
Jokić became the third player and first center to average a triple-double in NBA history.
T-2. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers): $55.2 Million
Joel Embiid was the league MVP during the 2022-23 season.
Embiid played just 19 games during the 2024-25 season and 39 the season before.
4. Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets): $54.7 Million
Kevin Durant is joining his third team since leaving the Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets in June 2019.
The Houston Rockets hope Durant’s elite bucket-making ability and wisdom elevate a young squad through the rigours of the Western Conference.
T-5. Jimmy Butler (Golden State Warriors): $54.1 Million
Jimmy Butler is entering his first full season with the Warriors.
Butler and Draymond Green formed a suffocating defensive duo in the second half of the 2024-25 season, and the Warriors hope his scoring can help take the pressure off of Curry.
T-5. Anthony Davis (Dallas Mavericks): $54.1 Million
Anthony Davis is entering his first full season with the Dallas Mavericks.
Davis will look to anchor an already strong defensive unit and carry a significant load of the Mavs’ offence.
T-5. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics): $54.1 Million
Jayson Tatum is likely to miss most of, if not the entire 2025-26 season, after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the 2025 playoffs.
Tatum helped the Boston Celtics win a championship in 2024.
T-5. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks): $54.1 Million
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP and helped the Milwaukee Bucks win a championship in 2021, earning Finals MVP.
Antetokounmpo is the only player to average at least 30 points and 60% shooting per game in a season, doing it in 2024 and 2025.
T-9. Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks): $53.1 Million
Karl-Anthony Towns helped the New York Knicks advance to the Eastern Conference finals in 2025, his first season with the club.
Towns averaged 24.4 points per game during the 2024-25 season, his most since the 2021-22 season.
T-9. Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics): $53.1 Million
Jaylen Brown took home Finals MVP in 2024.
Brown has averaged at least 20 points per game since the 2019-20 season.
T-9. Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns): $53.1 Million
Devin Booker helped the Phoenix Suns get to the NBA Finals in 2021.
Booker has averaged at least 25 points per game since the 2018-19 season.
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