Big-Money NBA Contracts That Were Worth Every Penny
No major American sport has progressed as much financially as the NBA, which regularly has contracts of $200-plus million these days.
Given that reality, it would be easy to focus on the negatives—those expensive deals that didn't work out. However, as we recently did with the MLB, we're lauding the best of those enormous contracts.
The same qualifiers and disclaimers apply here, too. Most notably, the list is limited to completed deals. Many existing contracts will be remembered favorably—and several are headed that direction already—but performance over the lifetime of a contract is a key factor.
Additionally, the minimum salary total at signing is $125 million. Not every successful deal is mentioned; rather, the focus is on contracts that most benefited both the player and team.
The choices are subjective but based on a blend of individual production and team success.
Kevin Garnett
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Contract: Six years, $126 million
Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 draft out of high school, Kevin Garnett made a rapid impression with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After just two seasons, the 21-year-old signed a six-year extension—the richest deal in NBA history.
And the gamble paid off.
Garnett continued his ascent into superstardom, averaging no less than 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.8 combined blocks and steals throughout the life of the contract. He peaked with 24.2 points, a league-high 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and a career-best 2.2 blocks per game during his MVP-winning 2003-04 campaign.
Along with that MVP, he earned All-NBA recognition in all six seasons and five first-team All-Defensive Team honors.
Minnesota reached the playoffs in each year of Garnett's deal, including a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2004.
Kobe Bryant
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Contract: Seven years, $136.4 million
The expiration of Garnett's contraction in 2004 led to the beginning of Kobe Bryant's nine-figure deal.
Already a three-time NBA champion next to Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe began his era as the Los Angeles Lakers' top player in that season. It didn't start in terrific fashion; the Lakers—who couldn't agree to terms with head coach Phil Jackson—tumbled to a 34-48 record.
After that, however, the Lakers brought back Jackson and returned to their place as a powerhouse.
Bryant won scoring titles in both 2005-06 and 2006-07, netting 28.9 points per game during this contract. Most notably, he guided Los Angeles to three straight NBA Finals with titles in 2009 and 2010.
Kobe earned the league MVP in 2007-08 and secured the Finals MVP in both championship years. He landed All-NBA status in all seven seasons and an All-Defensive spot six times.
Anthony Davis
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Contract: Five years, $127.2 million
Anthony Davis won a championship with the Lakers in the 2020 Orlando bubble. That ring, of course, is the featured part of his accomplishments within this contract.
But it's important to not overlook his vast contributions for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Starting with the 2016-17 campaign, Davis averaged 27.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over three seasons with New Orleans. He propelled the franchise to a playoff series victory in 2018, its first in a decade, before requesting a trade that later happened in July 2019.
Davis won a title alongside LeBron James in 2020 and padded his resume with three more All-NBA and All-Defensive honors.
Stephen Curry
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Contract: Five years, $201.2 million
Stephen Curry rose to prominence during a four-year, $44 million contract that featured two NBA titles. It's humorous to recall that, at the time of that extension, it was understandably viewed as a risk for the Golden State Warriors because of Curry's ankle injuries.
Instead, that agreement became one of the most team-friendly contracts in league history. And it led to Curry becoming the first NBA player to sign a $200 million deal in 2017.
Even at that price tag—and despite a hand injury that effectively sidelined him in 2019-20—it could be viewed as a bargain.
In the first season of his contract, the Warriors won a second consecutive ring. Then, in the final year, Golden State hung another banner. Curry also won a scoring title in 2020-21, the Finals MVP in 2022 and secured All-NBA recognition in his four healthy years.
Joel Embiid
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Contract: Five years, $147.7 million
In comparison, Curry's once-scrutinized deal hardly carried any risk at all. During the 2017 offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers handed Joel Embiid a max rookie-scale extension that began in 2018.
You know, after he'd played just 31 out of 246 possible games through the first three seasons of his career.
Fortunately for the Sixers, only moderate health concerns affected Embiid in those five years. He averaged 60 appearances per season with 28.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 blocks per game.
Most memorably, Embiid won league MVP in 2022-23 alongside four All-NBA and two All-Defensive nods.
Philly never reached the Eastern Conference Finals in that contract. Still, the Sixers won a playoff series in four seasons, which—though not the ultimate goal—is certainly not a meaningless fact.
LeBron James
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Contract: Four years, $153.3 million
The takeaway is simple: The Lakers won another title.
Based on that alone, LeBron James was worth many more pennies to Los Angeles. The franchise that stumbled through the late seasons of Kobe's career hadn't made the postseason in six straight years, including LeBron's debut campaign in 2018-19.
However, the trade for Davis sparked the Lakers and ignited James' production. In 2019-20, he dished a league-leading 10.2 assists per game while scoring 25.3 per night.
The rest of the contract didn't look as great, but bringing home a championship overshadows any other losing season.
Nikola Jokic
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Contract: Five years, $147.7 million
First of all, copy and paste the championship note. Just like LeBron, Nikola Jokic won a title during this contract.
The Joker did a whole lot more, too.
Signed in 2018, the agreement has a convenient start and end point. Jokic earned his first All-Star and All-NBA honors that season and helped the Denver Nuggets snap a five-year postseason drought.
Jokic repeated those accolades in each following year as the Nuggets made annual playoff trips. He won league MVP in 2020-21 and 2021-22, capping the contract with a title and Finals MVP in 2003.
Denver is undoubtedly hoping his $264 million supermax extension that starts in 2023 will produce similar results.
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