A list of the top 10 players on the career salary list! Curry is third in history at 473 million, and Harden and Wilson are not on the list

Since the nine-year, $24 billion broadcast contract signed by the NBA with ESPN and TNT went into effect in the 2016-17 season, the salary package of players has been greatly improved, the top salary starting salary has also increased from about 20 million 16 years ago to 30 million, and the annual salary of role players has also increased from millions to tens of millions.

Remember that in the 16-year offseason, we would be surprised that players signed 150 million contracts, but with the gradual increase of the league's salary cap, today, billion-dollar contracts are everywhere, flying all over the sky, as long as the player has enough potential and plays a quasi-All-Star level data performance (20+ per game), then the starting salary will also be $30 million. And for those role players whose strength meets the standard, Zhang Kou is a large contract of 1500~20 million US dollars, and it is not possible to bargain.

Judging from the trend in the past two years, $200 million contracts have also begun to become the standard for superstar players.

It is in such a situation that even many players can earn more money on a single contract than the entire career of their predecessors combined. For example, Jokic signed the largest contract in history for 5 years and $270 million, and Bill and LaVine, as ordinary All-Star players, both signed a 5-year $251 million and 5-year $215 million super contracts.

The NBA's existing broadcast contracts expire in 2025, and it is said that the NBA is currently negotiating a contract with broadcasters that is larger than $24 billion in nine years.

Judging by rumors, the contract could reach a staggering 9-year $75 billion. Once this contract is really signed, the player's salary package can be even more frightening, the top salary will have to start from 30 or 40 million, to 560 million, and the maximum amount of a five-year top salary will exceed 300 million US dollars.

Because the contracts signed by players are getting bigger and bigger, the historical salary list of players is constantly updated every year, and the former historical salary kings Kobe (328 million) and Garnett (343 million), who were still on the list, also dropped out of the top ten, the top ten are all active players, and the entry threshold has also been raised considerably, and even Embiid's total salary of $363 million cannot enter the top ten.

PS: The total salary of the players in this article is calculated based on the amount of contracts that have been signed and can be received 100%, such as the part with team options and insecurity.

Jimmy Butler – $365 million

So far, he has averaged 18 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 46.4% from the field and 32.1% from three-point range.

Major honors: 2014-15 Most Improved Player Award (MIP) 4 times Third Team, 5 Second Defense, 6 All-Star and 1 steal king, etc.

A list of contracts from Butler's career to date:

1. Rookie contract: $5.41 million for four years
2. Contract extension with Bulls: $95 million for 5 years (last year out of contract)
3. Contract with Heat: $142 million for four years
4. First contract extension with the Heat: $146 million for 3 years (25-26 season player option)

In the NBA league where talent monsters are everywhere, Butler's physical talent can only be said to be average, but he relied on his own hard work and hard work to eventually grow into a superstar player in the league, but Butler did not have a very good reputation in the league before joining the Heat as a free agent in 2019.

In the Bulls, Timberwolves and 76ers, Butler was called the "locker room killer", no matter what the reason, Butler can always have conflicts with the players or head coaches of his team, and the most outstanding of them is the 18-19 season on the eve of the start of the 18-19 season, Butler and the Timberwolves file, the phrase "Downs is the most talented, Wiggins is the most favored by God, and I am the hardest" has become a classic.

The Heat is the most suitable team for Butler, because of this, Butler entered the peak of his career, in the 2019-20 season, in the case of not being favored by the outside world, Butler led the Heat all the way to the Finals, although after this season, it is difficult for the Heat to return to the Finals stage, but this Butler-led Heat is still the team that the Eastern Conference teams least want to meet in the playoffs, after all, whether you win or lose, you always have to take off more than one layer of skin in the Heat.

Chris Paul – $375 million

So far, he has averaged 18 points, 4.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range.

Major honors: 1 All-Star MVP, 4 First Team, 5 Second Team, 2 Third Team, 7 First Defense, 2 Second Defense, and 12 All-Stars, 5 Assist Kings, 6 Steal Kings, etc.

List of contracts to date in Paul's career:

1. Rookie contract: $14.71 million for 4 years
2. Contract extension with Pelicans: $60 million for 4 years
3. Contract extension with Clippers: $107 million for 5 years
4. Contract extension with Rockets: $160 million for 4 years (last year out of contract)
5. Contract extension with the Suns: $120 million for 4 years (only $15 million guaranteed for the last two seasons)

Paul's current four-year, $123 million contract has many limitations, with the 2023-24 contract only guaranteed by $15 million until June 29, 2023, the 2024-25 season being a team option, and not guaranteed until June 29, 2024.

If you don't consider the reasons for security and insecurity, Paul's career total salary will be as high as $420 million, ranking seventh on the salary list, but unfortunately the last two seasons of the contract are really out of his control.

Paul's career was lucky, but also the most unfortunate! Fortunately, all of his contracts since his rookie contract ended are top salaries. Unfortunately, every time he reached the most critical point of his career, he would inexplicably have injuries early.

In the final moments of the Rockets, Paul was once thought to be the end of his career, but he found himself again with the Thunder, after joining the Suns, Paul not only stepped into the Western Conference for the second time, but also reached the Finals, and just when the Suns were about to suffer problems in the last season or two, before the trade deadline of this season, Durant suddenly came, and the Suns formed a super team of Booker, Durant, Paul and Ayton, and it seems that Paul is very close to a championship.

Devin Booker - $392 million

So far, he has averaged 23.7 points, 4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in his career, shooting 45.8% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range

Major honors: 1 first-time team and 3-time All-Star, etc.

List of Booker's career-to-date contracts:

1. Rookie contract: $9.99 million for 4 years
2. First contract extension with Sun: $158 million for 5 years
3. Second contract extension with Sun: $224 million for 4 years

Before Paul joined in the 2020 offseason, no matter how well Booker played, he could not get rid of the title of "data brush", and it was difficult for him to lead the team to better results, but after Paul came to the Suns, Booker began to transform, in the past two or three years, Booker has gradually grown into a veritable superstar in the league, and before last season and this season's injury, Booker played MVP-level performances, and he also became one of the potential contenders for MVP.

Now 26-year-old Booker is in his physical prime, and fortunately, the Suns just matched him with a roster that is enough to dominate the league, and with the addition of Durant, the Suns have become the favorite to win the championship, as long as the Suns can stay healthy, the team's ceiling is very high, and Booker is also in time to reap all kinds of honors.

Carl Anthony Towns – $408 million

So far, he has averaged 23.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range

Major honors: 2 times three-time team and 3 times All-Star, etc

List of contracts to date in Downs' career:

1. Rookie contract: $25.72 million for 4 years
2. First contract extension with the Timberwolves: $158 million for 5 years
3. Second contract extension with Timberwolves: $224 million for 4 years (final year player option)

As the top of the Class of 2015, Downs' talent and technical ability really have nothing to say, a 2.11m big center has a prolific and efficient three-point shooting ability, and its movement speed is very fast, and he can fully follow the defender player. It stands to reason that in this small-ball era, a center striker of Towns' type should kill in the league, but the reality is skinny, Downs' projection ability is indeed strong, but his style of play is also very soft.

Since entering the league in '15, Towns has only made the playoffs twice, but once by Butler and once by the likes of Edwards, Beverley and Russell. Towns is good, but obviously he doesn't deserve the big contract he signs.

Nikola Jokic – $420 million

So far, he has averaged 20.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, shooting 55.1% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range

Major honors: 2 regular season MVPs, 3 first-time teams, 1 second-time team, and 5-time All-Star, etc.

A list of Jokic's career-to-date contracts:

1. Rookie contract: $4.13 million for three years
2. First contract extension with Nuggets: $147 million for 5 years
3. Second contract extension with Nuggets: $251 million for 5 years (final year player option)

In the 2014 draft, the Nuggets used a second-round No. 41 pick to select Jokic from Serbia, this operation no one would care at the time, including Nuggets fans, Jokic in his rookie season can average 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, and in the second season, Jokic played an average of 16+9+4 per game, after seeing the strength and potential shown by Jokic, the Nuggets immediately sent Nurkic in the same position away, from this moment on, The Nuggets see Jokic as the centerpiece of the team.

In his fourth career year, Jokic averaged 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, and the Nuggets reached the playoffs this season with a 54-28 record in the Western Conference, and Jokic was selected as an All-Star and First Team for the first time.

All-stars and first-team players, this is clearly not the limit of Jokic, in the 2020-21 season, Jokic led the team to a 47-25 record in the third place in the West, And with an outstanding performance of 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game, he won the first regular season MVP of his career, and in the following 21-22 season, although the team's record was not very good (sixth in the West), Jokic completed the regular season MVP with an outstanding performance of 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, and it was after this season that the Nuggets did not hesitate to offer Jokic a five-year, $270 million early contract extension.

And this season, Jokic has been excellent both in terms of team record and individual performance (triple-doubles per game), and it looks like he is very close to three consecutive MVPs, and now he is only 28 years old.

Fifth, Bradley Beale – $432 million

So far, he has averaged 22.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in his career, shooting 46% from the field and 37.2% from three-point range

Major honors: 3 All-Star and 1 Third Team, etc.

List of contracts to date in Bill's career:

1. Rookie contract: $18.69 million for 4 years
2. First contract extension with Wizards: 128 million for 5 years
3. Third contract extension with the Wizards: $72 million (last year out of contract)
4. Second contract extension with Wizards: $251 million for 5 years (final year player option)

A player of this level of Beal can get a 5-year $251 million contract, which everyone never expected, although in today's league, Beal can also be regarded as the second shooting guard, but from a practical point of view, this 5-year $251 million contract is a proper garbage contract, throughout the league, the Wizards team will be willing to open this kind of contract for him!

The reason why Beal can get such a big contract, in fact, the Wizards don't want to, but there is no way, for a team like the Wizards that is not popular with free big players, they want to have big names, then they can only give more money. If the Wizards don't give Beal such a big contract, Bill will turn around and join other teams.

Fourth, Damian Lillard - $451 million

So far, he has averaged 25.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game in his career, shooting 44% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range.

Major honors: 7 All-Stars, 1 First Team, 4 Second Team, 1 Third Team, etc.

List of Lillard's career-to-date contracts:

1. Rookie contract: $13.85 million for 4 years
2. First contract renewal: $140 million for 5 years
3. Second contract renewal: $176 million for four years
4. Third contract renewal: $121 million for 2 years

Lillard's situation is exactly the same as Bill's, but Lillard is still stronger than Beal in terms of personal strength, and although Lillard's remaining contract is very large, as a rare "one person, one city" representative in today's league, the Blazers give Lillard such a high salary, which is worth it.

Lillard's ability to lead the team is not very strong, but as long as he is equipped with a good enough lineup, the playoffs can still be guaranteed, although the highest goal of all teams is a championship, but the vast majority of teams do not have to be championships, for the Blazers, with Lillard as the absolute core is certainly no hope to win the championship, but it is not unacceptable to enter the playoffs, and in terms of the commercial value of the team, with Lillard, the Blazers can also attract more local fans to buy tickets and buy peripherals.

Third, Stephen Curry - $473 million

So far, he has averaged 24.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 42.7% from three-point range

Major honors: 4 championships, 1 FMVP, 2 regular season MVPs, 1 All-Star MVP, 1 Western Conference MVP, 4 first-team, 3-time second-team, 1-time third-team, 9-time All-Star and 2 scoring champions, 1 steal king, etc.

List of contracts in Curry's career to date:

1. Rookie contract: $12.7 million for 4 years
2. First contract extension with the Warriors: 4 years and $44 million
3. Second contract extension with the Warriors: $201 million for 5 years
4. Third contract extension with the Warriors: $215 million for 4 years

Curry's early career contract is definitely the most famous child labor contract in NBA history, and after the rookie season, because Curry's ankle was injured, the Warriors completed the extension with him for only a 4-year, $44 million contract.

In the first year of this child labor contract, Curry averaged 24 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game, and that season he not only led the Warriors to the playoffs with a 51-21 record in the West, but also was selected to the All-Star Team and Second Team. The following year, Curry led the Warriors to a championship, a 73-9 all-time record and reached the Finals in the third year, and another championship in the fourth year.

On a four-year child labor contract, Curry led the team to two championships, won two consecutive regular-season MVPs, was selected as an All-Star four times, and was selected to the first team twice and the second team twice.

In the summer of 2017, the Warriors and Curry completed a five-year $201 million super top salary extension; in the summer of 2021, the Warriors signed a four-year, $215 million super contract with Curry, and after signing these two contracts, Curry also became the first player in NBA history to get two $200 million contracts.

Second, Kevin Durant - $499 million

So far, he has averaged 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 49.9% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range.

Major honors: 2 championships, 2 FMVPs, 1 regular season MVP, 2 All-Star MVPs, 6 first-team, 4-second team, 13-time All-Star and 4 scoring champions, etc.

List of Durant contracts so far:

1. Rookie contract: $19.5 million for 4 years
2. Contract extension with Thunder: $80 million for 5 years
3. Contract with Warriors: $54.3 million for 2 years (last year out of contract)
4. Contract extension with Warriors: $53 million for 2 years
5. Contract with Nets: $164 million for 4 years (final year player option replaced by next contract)
6. Contract extension with the Nets: $196 million for 4 years

After Durant left the Thunder to join the Warriors, although he played three finals in the three years of 2017~2019, and also won two championships and two FMVPs, the reputation of shooting enemies has always troubled him. In the summer of 2019, Durant left the Warriors to join the Nets, originally thinking that he would fully prove himself in the Nets, and the Nets also formed a Super Big Three team in order to support Durant's championship, but unfortunately, the Nets Big Three team failed.

Although the Big Three team only lasted for almost a year, this season, the Nets still showed the shadow of a championship under the leadership of Durant and Irving, but just when the team was booming, Irving applied for a trade and left the Nets, and then Durant also applied to leave the Nets.

After experiencing the enemy, the outside world hopes that Durant can lead the team to win the championship to prove himself, and the Nets are his opportunity, but he did not expect that Durant chose to join the Suns that have taken shape, the Suns are Booker's team anyway, even if Durant wins more championships there, his reputation will not be completely better.

First, LeBron James - $532 million

So far, he has averaged 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in his career, shooting 50.35% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range.

Major honors: 4 championships, 4 FMVPs, 4 regular season MVPs, 3 All-Star MVPs, 13 first-team, 2-time third-team, 2-time third-team, 5-time first-defense, 1-time second-defense, 19-time All-Star and 1 scoring king, 1 assist king, etc.

List of contracts to date in James' career:

1. Rookie contract: $18.8 million for 4 years
2. First contract extension with the Cavaliers: $60 million for 4 years
3. Contract with Heat: $110 million for 6 years (5th year out of contract)
4. Contract with Knights: $42.1 million for 2 years (last year out of contract)
5. First contract extension with the Cavaliers: $46.97 million for 2 years (last year out of contract)
6. Third contract extension with the Cavaliers: $110 million for 3 years (last year out of contract)
7. Contract with Lakers: $153 million for 4 years (final year player option replaced by next contract)
8. First contract extension with the Lakers: 2 years and $85 million
9. Second contract extension with Lakers: $97.1 million for 2 years (final year player option)

Although James, who has turned 38, can still play an average of 30+ per game this season, judging from his on-court performance, he is really old, he no longer has so much energy to go all out in every game, and he does not have the physical strength to play for a long time.

Although the Lakers want to grab James' last tail to rush to the championship, but Wei Shao's trade and thick eyebrows, James' successive injuries make all this more and more remote, but fortunately, the Lakers did an excellent operation before the trade deadline this season, even if they can't make the playoffs this season, as long as they make good additions in the offseason, the Lakers may continue to rush to the championship next season.

In the summer of 2022, the Lakers and James completed a 2-year early contract extension of $97.1 million, which also made James' career salary break through to $532 million, in 2025, James' current contract will expire, and I don't know if he will choose to continue playing when he is about to be 40 years old, and watch and cherish it!