Not Stephen Curry: NBA stars on pace to make nearly $1 million per game in near future

Stephen Curry has consistently topped the list of highest-earning NBA players for the past eight years and is set to enter his ninth season earning more than any other player in the league. As this unfolds, some NBA stars will be close to the remarkable benchmark of earning nearly $1 million per game.

While the NBA continues to offer substantial salaries, the impact of television rights is equally significant. The introduction of supermax contracts during the 2017-18 season has dramatically increased player earnings. Curry’s salary, projected to be around $59.6 million by the 2026-27 season, is notably higher than the former salary cap of $58.6 million set back in 2014.

Consequently, Curry is on track to out-earn any other player over the next two seasons, according to existing contracts within the NBA. Of course, this could change with future contract announcements.

However, the supermax contracts, already causing a stir in the NBA by allowing players to earn up to 35% more than the set salary cap, could enable other players to surpass Curry’s earnings in the coming years.

Two such players have already signed deals positioning them to earn nearly $1 million per game by 2030. Devin Booker, with his extension from the Phoenix Suns, is on pace to earn over $75.4 million during the 2029-30 season, more than any player in NBA history. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured a four-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, banking approximately $78.9 million by 2031.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s deal translates to approximately $963,000 per game, inching closer to the $1 million mark per NBA match. This milestone isn’t far-fetched, considering the anticipated increases in TV contract values and the salary cap’s annual growth, projected to rise by up to 10% each year.

It’s feasible to envision players like Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, and Victor Wembanyama, among others, reaching the $1 million per game threshold in the upcoming seasons. However, achieving this requires meeting the stringent conditions necessary for a supermax contract.

To secure a supermax contract in the NBA, a player must have at least seven years of league experience, remain with the team that drafted them (unless traded within the first four years), and meet one of the following criteria: win the league MVP in any of the three seasons preceding the contract, earn an All-NBA Team selection, or be named Defensive Player of the Year in two of the three years before signing.