With the explosion of the NBA salary cap as well as inflation, current player salaries are astronomical and blow player salaries from two decades ago out of the water.
The only players who can even remotely keep up with the highest-paid men of today are the likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O’Neal, three of the NBA’s biggest stars of all time.
Of course, LeBron James is the league’s highest-paid player, trailed by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
1
LeBron James
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Guaranteed earnings: $532,119,451
Career earnings so far: $390,511,090 in 19 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $443,664,916
Highest salary so far: $44,474,988 in 2022-23 (4th in the NBA)
2
Kevin Durant
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $511,827,650
Career earnings so far: $314,170,742 in 14 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $347,434,496
Highest salary so far: $44,119,845 in 2022-23 (5th in the NBA)
3
Stephen Curry
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $473,212,714
Career earnings so far: $257,859,052 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $278,342,938
Highest salary so far: $48,070,014 in 2022-22 (1st in the NBA)
4
Damian Lillard
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $451,772,802
Career earnings so far: $193,078,511 in 10 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $206,875,088
Highest salary so far: $42,492,492 in 2022-23 (8th in the NBA)
5
Bradley Beal
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $430,567,673
Career earnings so far: $179,548,023 in 10 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $193,029,189
Highest salary so far: $43,279,250 in 2022-23 (6th in the NBA)
6
Nikola Jokic
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $420,726,481
Career earnings so far: $117,688,678 in seven seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $123,456,815
Highest salary so far: $33,047,803 in 2022-23 (31st in the NBA)
7
Karl-Anthony Towns
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $408,197,035
Career earnings so far: $114,123,435 in seven seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $120,209,429
Highest salary so far: $33,833,400 in 2022-23 (24th in the NBA)
8
Devin Booker
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $392,390,165
Career earnings so far: $98,316,565 in seven seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $102,642,272
Highest salary so far: $33,833,400 in 2022-23 (24th in the NBA)
9
Joel Embiid
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $375,980,446
Career earnings so far: $133,819,676 in six seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $141,869,612
Highest salary so far: $33,616,770 in 2022-23 (28th in the NBA)
10
Chris Paul
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Guaranteed earnings: $375,177,385
Career earnings so far: $330,977,385 in 17 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $371,124,954
Highest salary so far: $41,358,814 in 2020-21 (2nd in the NBA)
11
Jimmy Butler
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $365,096,659
Career earnings so far: $181,047,328 in 11 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $193,887,245
Highest salary so far: $37,653,300 in 2022-23 (15th in the NBA)
12
Paul George
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $355,882,613
Career earnings so far: $218,962,361 in 12 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $236,282,926
Highest salary so far: $42,492,568 in 2022-23 (7th in the NBA)
13
Kevin Garnett
AP Photo/Jim Mone
Career earnings: $343,862,398 in 21 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $472,836,569
Highest salary: $28,000,000 in 2003-04 (1st in the NBA)
14
James Harden
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $340,679,833
Career earnings so far: $272,039,833 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $296,033,621
Highest salary so far: $44,310,840 in 2021-22 (2nd in the NBA)
15
Russell Westbrook
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $338,819,811
Career earnings so far: $291,756,333 in 14 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $318,863,283
Highest salary so far: $47,063,478 in 2022-23 (3rd in the NBA)
16
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $336,815,560
Career earnings so far: $147,960,040 in nine seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $156,563,071
Highest salary so far: $42,492,492 in 2022-23 (8th in the NBA)
17
Kobe Bryant
Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
Career earnings: $328,237,108 in 20 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $424,544,682
Highest salary: $30,453,000 in 2013-14 (1st in the NBA)
18
Anthony Davis
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $311,521,148
Career earnings so far: $189,720,908 in 10 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $204,120,829
Highest salary so far: $37,980,720 in 2022-23 (14th in the NBA)
19
Rudy Gobert
Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $307,003,368
Career earnings so far: $138,348,195 in nine seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $146,287,225
Highest salary so far: $38,172,414 in 2022-23 (12th in the NBA)
20
Zach LaVine
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $302,806,997
Career earnings so far: $87,647,297 in eight seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $92,627,782
Highest salary so far: $37,096,500 in 2022-23 (17th in the NBA)
21
Jrue Holiday
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $296,690,965
Career earnings so far: $188,214,724 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $204,049,796
Highest salary so far: $33,665,040 in 2022-23 (27th in the NBA)
22
Kawhi Leonard
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $295,311,514
Career earnings so far: $191,133,262 in 10 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $204,808,679
Highest salary so far: $42,492,492 in 2022-23 (8th in the NBA)
23
Shaquille O'Neal
STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images
Career earnings: $292,198,327 in 19 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $434,241,762
Highest salary: $27,696,430 in 2004-05 (1st in the NBA)
24
Kyle Lowry
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $275,157,919
Career earnings so far: $217,142,045 in 16 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $237,535,254
Highest salary so far: $33,296,296 in 2019-20 (9th in the NBA)
25
Gordon Hayward
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $270,922,778
Career earnings so far: $209,347,778 in 12 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $226,960,324
Highest salary so far: $32,700,690 in 2019-20 (16th in the NBA)
26
Klay Thompson
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $269,552,761
Career earnings so far: $185,733,241 in nine seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $199,130,367
Highest salary so far: $40,600,080 in 2022-23 (11th in the NBA)
27
Kevin Love
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $266,912,642
Career earnings so far: $237,969,812 in 14 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $261,793,179
Highest salary so far: $31,258,256 in 2020-21 (20th in the NBA)
28
Mike Conley
Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $266,541,596
Career earnings so far: $229,541,596 in 15 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $252,905,648
Highest salary so far: $34,502,132 in 2020-21 (10th in the NBA)
29
DeMar DeRozan
AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.
Guaranteed earnings: $258,605,770
Career earnings so far: $202,705,770 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $221,008,321
Highest salary so far: $27,739,975 in 2017-18 (10th in the NBA)
30
Blake Griffin
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Guaranteed earnings: $258,432,713
Career earnings so far: $258,432,713 in 12 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $283,499,024
Highest salary so far: $34,449,964 in 2019-20 (8th in the NBA)