Stephen Curry is the highest paid NBA player in 2026-27 at $62,587,158, ahead of Nikola Jokić on $59,033,114 and a three-way tie at $58,456,566 between Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Jayson Tatum. Thirty-two players will earn $42 million or more this season. The 2025 MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is only 39th.
NBA pay is fixed by when a contract was signed, not by who is best this season. That is why the table below adds a column most salary lists leave out: each player’s share of the $164.961 million salary cap, the number every max contract is actually written against.
Highest Paid NBA Players 2026-27: The Full List
| # | Player | 2026-27 | % of cap | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Curry | $62.59M | 37.9% | Warriors |
| 2 | Nikola Jokić | $59.03M | 35.8% | Nuggets |
| T-3 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | $58.46M | 35.4% | Heat |
| T-3 | Anthony Davis | $58.46M | 35.4% | Wizards |
| T-3 | Jayson Tatum | $58.46M | 35.4% | Celtics |
| 6 | Joel Embiid | $57.99M | 35.2% | 76ers |
| T-7 | Devin Booker | $57.08M | 34.6% | Suns |
| T-7 | Jaylen Brown | $57.08M | 34.6% | 76ers |
| T-7 | Karl-Anthony Towns | $57.08M | 34.6% | Knicks |
| 10 | Jimmy Butler | $56.83M | 34.5% | Warriors |
| 11 | Paul George | $54.13M | 32.8% | Celtics |
| 12 | Kawhi Leonard | $50.30M | 30.5% | Raptors |
| T-13 | Cade Cunningham | $50.11M | 30.4% | Pistons |
| T-13 | Donovan Mitchell | $50.11M | 30.4% | Cavaliers |
| T-13 | Evan Mobley | $50.11M | 30.4% | Cavaliers |
| T-13 | Jamal Murray | $50.11M | 30.4% | Nuggets |
| T-17 | Bam Adebayo | $49.49M | 30.0% | Heat |
| T-17 | Luka Dončić | $49.49M | 30.0% | Lakers |
| T-17 | De’Aaron Fox | $49.49M | 30.0% | Spurs |
| T-17 | Trae Young | $49.49M | 30.0% | Wizards |
| 21 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | $49.00M | 29.7% | Jazz |
| 22 | Zach LaVine | $48.97M | 29.7% | Kings |
| T-23 | Anthony Edwards | $48.92M | 29.7% | Timberwolves |
| T-23 | Tyrese Haliburton | $48.92M | 29.7% | Pacers |
| T-23 | Pascal Siakam | $48.92M | 29.7% | Pacers |
| 26 | Lauri Markkanen | $46.11M | 28.0% | Jazz |
| 27 | Domantas Sabonis | $45.47M | 27.6% | Kings |
| 28 | Kevin Durant | $43.90M | 26.6% | Rockets |
| 29 | OG Anunoby | $42.50M | 25.8% | Knicks |
| T-30 | Darius Garland | $42.17M | 25.6% | Clippers |
| T-30 | Ja Morant | $42.17M | 25.6% | Trail Blazers |
| T-30 | Zion Williamson | $42.17M | 25.6% | Pelicans |
A note on the figures. Contracts written as a percentage of the cap, such as rookie-scale maximum extensions at 25% and deals at 30%, could not be priced until the league set the cap in summer 2026. The figures published by Spotrac match the official $164.961 million cap exactly: De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo and Luka Dončić at 30% ($49,488,300), and Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams at 25% ($41,240,250). Basketball-Reference still shows slightly higher amounts for those players, apparently based on an earlier cap projection, so this list uses Spotrac.
Why the 2025 MVP Is 39th on the List
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is paid $40,806,150 in 2026-27, 39th in the league. His four-year, $285 million supermax extension does not start until 2027-28, when his salary is projected to jump to about $61 million (Spotrac puts it at $61.6 million, Basketball-Reference at $61.0 million; the exact figure depends on next season’s cap). Donovan Mitchell makes a similar jump, from $50.1 million this season to a projected $61 million or so.
The opposite is happening at the top. Curry’s $62.6 million is the largest salary in the league this season, but both trackers show it falling to $55.7 million in 2027-28, and Spotrac’s 2027-28 projections put him 13th.
The 35% Ceiling and the $164.961 Million Cap
For 2026-27, the NBA set the salary cap at $164.961 million, the luxury tax line at $200.428 million, the first apron at $209.015 million and the second apron at $221.686 million. A new maximum contract for a player with ten or more years of service starts at 35% of the cap, which this season is about $57.7 million.
Six players are paid more than that: Curry, Jokić, Antetokounmpo, Davis, Tatum and Embiid. None of them broke a rule. Their salaries were fixed by contracts signed in earlier seasons and are not re-set when the cap moves. Curry’s share, 37.9% of the cap, is the highest in the league.
Paid While Injured, and the Bargains at the Other End
Jimmy Butler is tenth on the list at $56,832,773 while he recovers from the torn ACL he suffered in January 2026. The money is fully guaranteed, so the injury does not reduce it. It is the final year of his deal with Golden State.
At the other end, LeBron James is earning $3,876,529 with the Philadelphia 76ers, the first year of a two-year, $8 million deal that CBS Sports describes as the smallest salary of his career (ESPN first reported the terms). Victor Wembanyama is paid $16,868,246 in the fourth year of his rookie contract, and the 2025 No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg, about $14.5 million, per Spotrac.
The Contracts That Changed Teams in 2026
Several of the largest salaries on the list moved this year. Jaylen Brown and Paul George swapped Boston and Philadelphia in a July trade (Boston.com). Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto became official on 14 September, after the league completed its investigation of the Clippers (TSN). Darius Garland went from Cleveland to the Clippers for James Harden in February (NBA.com), and Trae Young was traded from Atlanta to Washington in January.
Player Earnings Profiles
The top ten. Our profiles cover Nikola Jokić, with his supermax and endorsement income; Jayson Tatum and his Celtics contract; Joel Embiid, whose career earnings have passed $321 million; Devin Booker and the Suns deal that pays him $57.1 million this season; and Jimmy Butler, paid in full while he rehabs.
The $48 million to $50 million band. Donovan Mitchell, before his 2027-28 raise; Jamal Murray of the Nuggets; Luka Dončić and his Lakers extension; Trae Young in Washington; and the three players tied at $48,924,624, including Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton.
Just inside the top 32. OG Anunoby, whose $42.5 million matches his cap hit, and Zion Williamson, whose guarantee rose with his availability.
Just outside it. Scottie Barnes at $41.8 million, Paolo Banchero at $41.2 million in the first year of his extension, Jalen Brunson at $37.7 million, Rudy Gobert at $36.5 million, Jalen Green at $36 million and Alperen Şengün at $35.6 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the highest paid NBA player in 2026-27?
Stephen Curry, at $62,587,158 with the Golden State Warriors, per Spotrac. Nikola Jokić is second at $59,033,114.
How many NBA players earn more than $50 million in 2026-27?
Sixteen. The cut-off falls at the four players tied on $50,105,628: Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jamal Murray.
What is the NBA salary cap for 2026-27?
$164.961 million, with the luxury tax line at $200.428 million, the first apron at $209.015 million and the second apron at $221.686 million, as announced by the NBA.
How much does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earn in 2026-27?
$40,806,150, 39th in the league. His $285 million supermax extension begins in 2027-28, when his salary is projected at about $61 million.
How much is LeBron James paid in 2026-27?
$3,876,529 with the Philadelphia 76ers, the first year of a two-year, $8 million contract, per ESPN and CBS Sports.
Published 5 October 2026. Salaries and teams from Spotrac’s 2026-27 rankings, cross-checked against Basketball-Reference’s contract table; cap, tax and apron figures from the NBA’s official announcement; 2027-28 figures are projections that depend on next season’s cap. Trades from Boston.com, TSN and NBA.com; LeBron James’s contract from ESPN and CBS Sports.