Nikola Jokic Trails Steph Curry on Lucrative NBA List

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has signed a record-breaking four-year contract extension worth $272 million. This deal gives him the highest average annual salary (AAV) in the NBA at $68.1 million, effective starting in the 2027-28 season.

For the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry will be the highest-paid player with a salary of $59.6 million. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid tie for the second-highest salary at $55.3 million each.

The full list of top salaries for 2025-26 includes: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($54.2 million), Jimmy Butler ($54.2 million), Anthony Davis ($54.2 million), Jayson Tatum ($54.2 million), Kevin Durant ($53.3 million), Devin Booker ($53.1 million), Jaylen Brown ($53.1 million), and Karl-Anthony Towns ($53.1 million).

Despite being among the highest-paid for 2025-26, neither Curry nor Jokic ranks in the top eight for average annual salary due to recent supermax extensions. Players like Gilgeous-Alexander ($68.1M AAV), Booker, Tatum, and Embiid (all over $60M AAV) now lead in AAV, along with Antetokounmpo, Davis, Brown, and Butler.

Jokic declined a contract extension this offseason, planning instead to sign a potentially record-breaking deal next summer that could earn him approximately $80 million more. This strategic delay comes despite his exceptional performance, having finished top two in MVP voting for five consecutive seasons.