The 2026/27 NBA season tips-off on Tuesday and the New York Knicks will be hoping to retain the title they famously won last season.
The Knicks defeated San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals, ending a remarkable 53-year wait for the title.
The legendary LeBron James, meanwhile, will enter a record-setting 24th NBA season following his decision to take a pay cut and join the Philadelphia 76ers after eight seasons with the LA Lakers.
According to reports, LeBron accepted a contract worth around $8 million over two seasons, which is substantially lower than the deal worth $53m during his final season with the Lakers.
Which brings us to the player salaries for 2026/27. Below is the list of the best paid athletes in NBA. Data in descending order and collected from ESPN, Basketball Reference and other sources.
Highest-paid players of NBA 2026/27
=18). Luka Doncic (LA Lakers) – $49.5 million
=18). Trae Young (Washington Wizards) – $49.5 million
=18). Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) – $49.5 million
17). De'Aaron Fox (San Antonio Spurs) – $49.8 million
=13). Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets) – $50.1 million
=13). Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers) – $50.1 million
=13). Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) – $50.1 million
=13). Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers) – $50.1 million
12). Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors) – $50.3 million
11). Paul George (Boston Celtics) – $54.1 million
10). Jimmy Butler (Golden State Warriors) – $56.8 million
=8). Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) – $57 million
=8). Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks) – $57 million
7). Jaylen Brown (Philadelphia 76ers) – $57.7 million
6). Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) – $58 million
=3). Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) – $58.4 million
=3). Anthony Davis (Washington Wizards) – $58.4 million
=3). Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat) – $58.4 million
2). Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – $59 million
1). Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) – $62.5 million