Durant, LeBron and Highest-Career Earnings in NBA History After $90M Rockets Contract
Kevin Durant finally got one over on LeBron James.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Houston Rockets are re-signing Durant to a two-year, $90 million extension. That will take his career earnings past $590 million and move him ahead of James in the all-time rankings.
When accounting for contracts on the books around the NBA, here's who the top-10 earners will be through the 2030-31 season, per Spotrac:
- Kevin Durant, $591,313,851 (projected earnings)
- LeBron James, $581,322,455
- Stephen Curry, $532,728,665
- Devin Booker, $520,282,015
- Paul George, $516,917,026
- Anthony Davis, $511,281,453
- Joel Embiid, $509,313,851
- Damian Lillard, $482,940,103
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, $469,526,213
- Jayson Tatum, $469,471,035
Durant may not maintain his position for very long.
James is heading for free agency next summer. Assuming he extends his career for another year — be it with the Los Angeles Lakers or another team — his earnings would almost certainly eclipse $600 million.
The 21-time All-Star would have to accept a massive pay cut relative to his current salary ($52.6 million) in order not to overtake Durant. And leaving a lot of money on the table isn't something James has done to this point.
With the way NBA contracts are trending, James won't be the highest all-time earner in perpetuity, either.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is eligible to hit the open market in 2027, and starting next season he can command as much as $275 million from the Milwaukee Bucks. He's on track to retire with $700-plus million in combined contracts.
The same is true for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, who can receive as much as $293 million on his next contract with more than $360 million in the bank through 2026-27.
Stephen Curry, who's signed with the Golden State Warriors through 2027, could likewise enter the $600 million club. At 37, the two-time MVP has shown signs of decline, but it's easy to foresee him playing another four or five years.
Jayson Tatum is just starting his $313.9 million extension with the Boston Celtics. He'll be just 31 when he can opt out in 2029 and imagine what the NBA salary cap might look like by then.
Sooner or later, a star might hit the $1 billion threshold, making Durant's earnings look like pocket change.
