How Much Money NBA Players Make in 2025: The Complete Breakdown
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The NBA continues to set financial records in 2025, with players earning unprecedented salaries that dwarf most other professional sports leagues. From supermax contracts reaching nearly $60 million annually to minimum-salary rookies, the financial spectrum of the National Basketball Association reveals a fascinating economic landscape.
Record-Breaking Salary Cap for 2025-26
The NBA established a salary cap of $154.647 million for the 2025-26 season, representing a significant increase from the previous season's $140.588 million. This growth reflects the league's booming economic health, driven primarily by massive media rights deals and expanding global interest in basketball.
The luxury tax threshold sits at $187.895 million, with additional restrictions at the First Apron ($195.945 million) and Second Apron ($207.824 million) levels. These financial guardrails create a complex salary structure that teams must navigate while building competitive rosters.
The Highest-Paid Players of 2025
Stephen Curry leads the NBA as the highest-paid player for the 2025-26 season, commanding a staggering $59.6 million from the Golden State Warriors. This makes him the first player approaching the $60 million mark in annual salary, cementing his position as the league's financial leader for the ninth consecutive season.
The top ten highest-paid players by salary alone include:
Stephen Curry - $59.6 million (Golden State Warriors)
Joel Embiid - $55.2 million (Philadelphia 76ers)
Nikola Jokic - $55.2 million (Denver Nuggets)
Kevin Durant - $54.7 million (Houston Rockets)
Giannis Antetokounmpo - $54.1 million (Milwaukee Bucks)
Luka Doncic - $54.1 million (Los Angeles Lakers)
Jimmy Butler - $54.1 million (Golden State Warriors)
Anthony Davis - $54.1 million (Dallas Mavericks)
Jayson Tatum - $54.1 million (Boston Celtics)
Bradley Beal - $53.7 million (LA Clippers)
These astronomical figures demonstrate how far NBA salaries have climbed from just a decade ago when the first $30 million contract was considered groundbreaking.
Average and Median NBA Salaries
While superstars command eye-popping contracts, the average NBA player salary for 2025-26 sits at approximately $11.8 million. However, this figure can be misleading due to the massive contracts at the top end skewing the data.
The median salary provides a more accurate picture of what most players actually earn, coming in at approximately $5.7 million—less than half the average. This disparity illustrates the enormous gap between NBA superstars and role players.
The NBA boasts the highest average salary of any major U.S. sport, with the $11.8 million figure representing a 22.8% increase from the previous season. This dominance stems from smaller roster sizes (just 15 players per team) distributing league revenue among fewer athletes compared to football or baseball.
Minimum Salaries: The Entry Level
Even players at the bottom of NBA rosters earn substantial incomes by global standards. The minimum salary structure for 2025-26 varies based on years of experience:
Rookies (0 years): $2,048,494
1 year of service: $2,296,274
2 years of service: $2,378,870
3 years of service: $2,461,463
4 years of service: $2,667,947
5 years of service: $2,874,436
6+ years of service: Incrementally higher
These figures represent a dramatic increase from previous years and ensure that even bench players and rookies receive life-changing compensation.
Rookie Scale Contracts
First-round draft picks in 2025 receive standardized contracts based on their draft position. Cooper Flagg, selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks, will earn $13.8 million in his first season, with his four-year rookie contract totaling $62.7 million.
The rookie scale descends from there, with the 10th pick earning approximately $6 million in year one and the 30th pick receiving around $2.7 million. These contracts are guaranteed for two years with team options for years three and four, providing financial security while teams evaluate young talent.
The Supermax Revolution
The supermax contract tier, established in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, allows elite players who meet specific criteria to sign extensions starting at 35% of the salary cap. Players become eligible after seven to eight years with the same team and meeting certain performance standards (MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or multiple All-NBA selections).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recently signed a four-year, $285 million supermax extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which will make him the highest-paid player in NBA history on an annual basis when it begins in 2027-28. His contract will escalate to approximately $78 million in its final year.
Jayson Tatum holds the record for the largest total contract value at five years and $313 million with the Boston Celtics. These megadeals are rapidly approaching the $82 million per year mark—or $1 million per game.
Total Earnings: Salary Plus Endorsements
When endorsement income is factored in, the earnings picture changes dramatically. Stephen Curry tops the 2025-26 total earnings list with $159.6 million ($59.6 million salary + $100 million in endorsements).
The complete top five earners including endorsements:
Stephen Curry - $159.6 million total
LeBron James - $137.6 million ($52.6M salary + $85M endorsements)
Kevin Durant - $104.3 million
Giannis Antetokounmpo - $99.1 million
Jayson Tatum - $79.1 million
The top ten players collectively will earn $902 million during the 2025-26 season, demonstrating basketball's status as one of the world's most lucrative sports.
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have all crossed the $1 billion threshold in career earnings when combining salaries and endorsements. Durant recently became the all-time leader in career on-court earnings, surpassing $500 million in NBA salary alone.
G League and Two-Way Contracts
Not all professional basketball players in the NBA system earn millions. G League players signed directly to developmental teams receive $45,000 for the 2025-26 season, representing a 4.7% increase from the previous year. Those who complete a full season without NBA call-ups receive an additional $5,000 enhanced minimum payment.
Two-way contract players occupy a middle ground, earning $636,435 for the 2025-26 season—exactly half of the rookie minimum salary. These players can spend up to 50 games with their NBA team while developing in the G League, but they're ineligible for playoff participation unless promoted to the standard roster.
The stark contrast between G League salaries ($45,000) and NBA minimum salaries ($2,048,494) creates what many consider an inequitable compensation gap within the same professional system.
Retirement Benefits and Long-Term Security
The NBA offers comprehensive retirement benefits that extend well beyond a player's active career. Players become eligible for pension benefits after just three years of service.
The pension structure provides:
Minimum pension (3 years of service): $56,998 annually at age 62
Maximum pension (10+ years of service): Up to $215,000 annually at age 62
Players can begin receiving reduced pension payments as early as age 45, though waiting until the normal retirement age of 62 maximizes benefits.
The league also provides:
401(k) matching up to 140% of player contributions
Health insurance for retired players with 10+ years of service
Tuition reimbursement up to $33,000 annually for education and career transition programs
Life, disability, dental, vision, and prescription drug insurance
These benefits represent a significant investment in player welfare, with the NBA being the first professional sports league to offer comprehensive retired player medical benefits.
The Economic Context
The NBA's financial boom is driven by multiple revenue streams. The league generated $11.3 billion in total revenue during 2024, representing a 6.8% increase year-over-year. The average NBA franchise is now valued at $4.66 billion, second only to the NFL among major American sports leagues.
A new media rights deal beginning in 2025 is worth approximately 2.6 times the previous agreement, injecting massive amounts of cash into the league. However, to prevent market disruptions like when the salary cap jumped 34% in a single summer (allowing Golden State to sign Kevin Durant), the new Collective Bargaining Agreement includes "cap smoothing" measures limiting increases to 10% annually.
Total NBA payroll across all 30 teams reached $5.1 billion in 2024, representing approximately 45% of league revenue. Players receive about 51% of Basketball Related Income according to the current CBA, ensuring they share proportionally in the league's economic success.
Future Projections
The trajectory points toward even more astronomical salaries. Salary cap projections show steady growth:
2026-27: $166 million
2027-28: $174.3 million
2028-29: $183 million
2029-30: $192.2 million
By 2034-35, the salary cap could reach $245.3 million, meaning supermax contracts starting at 35% of the cap would begin at over $85 million annually.
Young stars like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton could become the first players to earn over $82 million in a single season (the symbolic $1 million per game threshold) when their supermax eligibility arrives. Some projections suggest contracts could exceed $100 million per season by the end of the decade.
Conclusion
NBA player salaries in 2025 reflect a league at the peak of its economic power. From Stephen Curry's nearly $60 million annual salary to G League players earning $45,000, the financial spectrum spans multiple orders of magnitude. With average salaries approaching $12 million, comprehensive retirement benefits, and endorsement opportunities that can double or triple on-court earnings, NBA players enjoy compensation packages that rank among the highest in professional sports.
As media deals continue to expand, global interest in basketball grows, and the salary cap steadily increases, the financial future of NBA players looks brighter than ever. The league's supermax structure ensures that elite talent will continue commanding unprecedented salaries, while even minimum-salary players and rookies earn life-changing incomes. For fans, understanding these financial dynamics provides crucial context for roster construction, free agency decisions, and the business side of the gameday of the game they love.