Which NBA players have the best contracts? That's a loaded question but one worth attacking. Leaving out two-way contracts that pay almost $579,000 for an entire season, an NBA player can earn anywhere from $1.2 million as a rookie to $49.
2 million for a veteran with at least 10 years of experience. Players can earn even more than that max in some situations, like Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors at $55.8 million.
With the international attention Curry brings to the franchise, he's arguably a bargain at that price. The following list of the 12 best NBA contracts focuses more on value deals, where a player's production outpaces their salary: Like Curry, LeBron James keeps the Los Angeles Lakers relevant (sold-out arena, max national broadcast appearances, etc.).
He's worth every bit of his $48.7 million to the Lakers, but heavy-paid stars (including Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo) will be omitted. Similarly, Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs' 2023 No.
1 pick, is at a favorable number as one of the league's brightest young stars. But his $12.8 million is based on the NBA's four-year rookie scale for first-round draft picks and won't be included on this list.
Additionally, short-term deals that may have been outstanding contracts when signed but are inevitably leading to a rise in pay on the next contract have also been left off. That would include Naz Reid at $14 million this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves (he's unlikely to opt into 2025-26.