“Chris Paul goes low on Tyson Chandler pick” by All-Pro Reels is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 5. His earnings are most inflated by his latest contract, which was worth $160 million over four years. But CP3 has signed numerous max contracts through his career and played long enough to rake in the dough. Sure, he is one of the five best point guards of all time, but he isn’t someone normally associated with making a lot of money. Some people might be surprised to see Chris Paul here. His prime came so long before the biggest salary-cap spike in league history, this was unavoidable. Unlike many other players, especially stars of today, he rarely cleared $30 million in a single season. He cleared $30 million per year a couple of times toward the latter end of his career when he was signing short-term deals, but he never enjoyed this contract-by-contract windfall the superstars of today are negotiating. This is also a good time to ponder what Michael Jordan would’ve earned had he entered the league today. Given that he’s entering the 18th year of his career, it makes sense that he would top this list.įun fact, though: Despite being the highest paid player of all time, LeBron has never had the highest salary in the league. And he’s definitely no worse than the second best player of all time. LeBron James is arguably the greatest player of all time. Finally, these figures are accurate as of the 2020-21 season, have not been adjusted for inflation and come via HoopsHype. Other revenue streams such as endorsement deals are not included. And just as a reminder, this list includes money earned from NBA contracts only. It begs the question: Who are the highest NBA players of all time? Are there any guys from past eras, when the money was usually less? Or does the list consist of mostly newer-age players?įortunately, we’ve got the answer. These days, if you’ve signed two separate multi-year contracts at the NBA level, chances are you’re set for life. Even players who aren’t superstars make life-changing money. Player salaries are now skyhigh as a result of a decades-long financial boon. Franchise valuations have reached into the billions of dollars, with many of the league’s 30 teams worth close to $2 billion or more. The rise in sportsbooks and betting strategies has also helped popularize every sport and widened their revenue streams.

When it first started out and for the first few decades of existence, playing in the NBA wasn’t even the athletes’ only job.Įverything has changed now.

Some people can hardly remember, but it wasn’t always the lucrative money-making machine it is today.

Email The National Basketball Association really has come a long way.

Highest paid nba player