Highest-Paid NBA Players By Team

On Tuesday, we listed the top 50 highest-paid NBA players for the 2025/26 season. Although that list presented a clear picture of the highest earners for the current season, not every NBA team was represented. Two of the league’s 30 franchises – the Trail Blazers and Bulls – didn’t have a single player in the top 50.

Our list of highest-paid players for 2025/26 also only provided a snapshot for this year. For example, Wizards forward Khris Middleton, who cracked the top 50, will certainly be well compensated for the coming season, but he’s on an expiring contract and will fall off that list next year after reaching free agency.

Today, we’re shifting our focus to the highest-paid players by team. This will allow us to check in on the clubs that weren’t represented on our initial list, as well as identifying some of the league’s most lucrative multiyear commitments — we’ve included each club’s highest-paid player for the current season (by 2025/26 base salary) and its highest-paid player in total (by total guaranteed base salary, including player options but not team options).

Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

• 2025/26: Jayson Tatum ($54,126,450)
• Total: Jayson Tatum (five years, $313,933,410)
  • Note: Tatum’s final year is a player option.
    

Brooklyn Nets

• 2025/26: Michael Porter Jr. ($38,333,050)
• Total: Michael Porter Jr. (two years, $79,139,200)
  

Charlotte Hornets

• 2025/26: LaMelo Ball ($37,958,760)
• Total: LaMelo Ball (four years, $168,705,600)

Chicago Bulls

• 2025/26: Josh Giddey (exact amount TBD)
• Total: Josh Giddey (four years, $100,000,000)
• Note: Giddey’s new four-year, $100MM contract with the Bulls will make him the team’s highest-paid player (both this season and overall), but the deal isn’t yet official and the exact terms aren’t yet known.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

• 2025/26: Anthony Davis ($54,126,450)
• Total: Anthony Davis (three years, $175,369,698)

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

• 2025/26: Cade Cunningham ($46,394,100)
  
• Total: Cade Cunningham (five years, $269,085,780)

Golden State Warriors

• 2025/26: Stephen Curry ($59,606,817)
• Total: Stephen Curry (two years, $122,193,975)

Houston Rockets

• 2025/26: Kevin Durant ($53,282,608)
  • Note: Durant could earn another $1,426,001 in likely incentives.
• Total: Alperen Sengun (five years, $185,000,000)
  • Note: Sengun’s final year is a player option.

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Clippers

• 2025/26: Kawhi Leonard ($50,000,000)
• Total: Kawhi Leonard (two years, $100,300,000)

Los Angeles Lakers

• 2025/26: LeBron James ($52,627,153)
• Total: Luka Doncic (four years, $207,351,660)
  • Note: The projected value of Doncic’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $166,000,000 salary cap for 2026/27. Doncic’s final year is a player option.
    

Memphis Grizzlies

• 2025/26: Ja Morant ($39,446,090)
• Total: Jaren Jackson Jr. (five years, $240,000,000)
  • Note: Jackson’s final year is a player option.
    

Miami Heat

• 2025/26: Bam Adebayo ($37,096,620)
• Total: Bam Adebayo (five years, $202,445,484)
  • Note: Adebayo’s final year is a player option.

Milwaukee Bucks

• 2025/26: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($54,126,450)
• Total: Giannis Antetokounmpo (three years, $175,369,698)
  • Note: Antetokounmpo’s final year is a player option.
    

Minnesota Timberwolves

• 2025/26: Anthony Edwards ($45,550,512)
• Total: Anthony Edwards (four years, $202,446,720)

New Orleans Pelicans

• 2025/26: Zion Williamson ($39,446,090)
• Total: Trey Murphy III (four years, $112,000,000)
  • Note: Williamson’s contract has three years and $126,499,530 remaining, but the final two years ($87,053,440) are non-guaranteed.

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

• 2025/26: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($38,333,050)
• Total: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (six years, $365,456,000)
  
  • Note: The projected value of Gilgeous-Alexander’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $182,600,000 salary cap for 2027/28. Gilgeous-Alexander’s final year is a player option.

Orlando Magic

• 2025/26: Franz Wagner ($38,661,750)
• Total: Paolo Banchero (six years, $256,034,769)
  • Note: The projected value of Banchero’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $166,000,000 salary cap for 2026/27. His projected six-year earnings could increase to as much as $304,174,769 if he meets certain Rose Rule performance criteria. Banchero’s final year is a player option.

Philadelphia 76ers

• 2025/26: Joel Embiid ($55,224,526)
• Total: Joel Embiid (four years, $243,468,526)
  • Note: The projected value of Embiid’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $166,000,000 salary cap for 2026/27. Embiid’s final year is a player option.

Phoenix Suns

• 2025/26: Devin Booker ($53,124,264)
• Total: Devin Booker (five years, $317,462,264)
  • Note: The projected value of Booker’s maximum-salary extension is based on a $200,860,000 salary cap for 2028/29. Booker’s final year is a player option.

Portland Trail Blazers

• 2025/26: Jrue Holiday ($32,400,000)
• Total: Jrue Holiday (three years, $104,400,000)
  • Note: Holiday’s final year is a player option.

Sacramento Kings

• 2025/26: Zach LaVine ($47,499,660)
• Total: Domantas Sabonis (three years, $136,416,000)
  
  • Note: Sabonis could earn another $7,800,000 in unlikely incentives.

San Antonio Spurs

• 2025/26: De’Aaron Fox ($37,096,620)
• Total: De’Aaron Fox (five years, $260,200,620)

Toronto Raptors

• 2025/26: Scottie Barnes ($38,661,750)
• Total: Scottie Barnes (five years, $224,238,150)

Utah Jazz

• 2025/26: Lauri Markkanen ($46,394,100)
• Total: Lauri Markkanen (four years, $195,868,144)

Washington Wizards

• 2025/26: Khris Middleton ($33,296,296)
  • Note: Middleton could earn another $3,222,221 in unlikely incentives.
• Total: Corey Kispert (three years, $41,000,000)
  • Note: Kispert also has a fourth-year team option worth $13,050,000.