It can pay handsomely to be a professional athlete, and these days the biggest contracts are going to basketball and baseball players.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a four-year, $285 million contract extension on Tuesday, making him the highest-paid player in the league with an average salary of $71.3 million per season when the deal kicks in the 2027-28 season.
By comparison, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is making $60 million per season, Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is making an average of $14 million as the National Hockey League’s highest paid player, and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani makes $70 million a season, but $680 million of that total is being deferred, and scheduled to paid out starting in 2034.
Here are the biggest contracts in NBA history, in terms of value and annual salary:
Highest-paid NBA players, by total contract value
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, five years, $313 million
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: four years, $285 million
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: five years, $285 million
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: five years, $276 million
- Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons: five years, $269 million
- Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers: five years, $269 million
- Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns: five years, $251 million
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves: five years, $244 million
- Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers: five years, $244 million
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: five years, $228 million
Highest-paid NBA players by annual average salary
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: $71.3 million
- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 64.3 million
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: $62.8 million
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: $58.4 million
- Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks: $58.4 million
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: $57 million
- Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors: $55.4 million
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: $55.2 million
- Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat: $55.116 million
- Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks: $55.1 million
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: $55.1 million
Richest contracts in North American sports history
- Juan Soto, New York Mets: 15 years, $765 million
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers: 10 years, $700 million
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: 10 years, $450 million
- Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: 12 years, $426.5 million
- Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers: 12 years, $365 million
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: nine years, $360 million
- Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 11 years, $350 million
- Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 10 years, $341 million
- Fernando Tatís Jr., San Diego Padres: 14 years, $340 million
- Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies: 13 years, $330 million
