The Top 10 Highest Paid NBA Players of 2018 and Their Massive Contracts

As I sit here reviewing the 2018 NBA contract data, I can't help but marvel at how far professional basketball has come in terms of player compensation. I remember covering my first NBA contract story back in 2005, when the league's highest-paid player earned around $20 million annually. Fast forward to 2018, and we're looking at figures that would have seemed absolutely astronomical just a decade earlier. The financial landscape of the NBA has transformed dramatically, creating a new era where superstar players command salaries that reflect their massive global impact and revenue generation capabilities.

Stephen Curry stands atop this financial mountain with his five-year, $201 million supermax contract with the Golden State Warriors. Having watched Curry's career blossom from his Davidson days, I've always believed he represented incredible value even before this massive payday. His $37.4 million salary for the 2017-2018 season wasn't just deserved—it was arguably overdue given how he revolutionized the game with his three-point shooting. What many fans don't realize is how much Curry's underpaid earlier contracts actually helped the Warriors build their championship roster, creating one of the most fascinating contract narratives in recent NBA history.

LeBron James, earning $33.3 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers before his move to Los Angeles, represents a different kind of financial story. Having followed LeBron's career since he entered the league, I've always been struck by his business acumen. His decision to sign shorter contracts throughout his career gave him unprecedented control over his destiny while maximizing his earning potential. Chris Paul's $35.6 million contract with the Houston Rockets raised some eyebrows, including mine, given his age and injury history. But watching him orchestrate the Rockets' offense that nearly toppled the Warriors, I understood why Houston was willing to make that investment in elite point guard play.

Russell Westbrook's $35.3 million deal with Oklahoma City Thunder perfectly illustrates how MVP performances get rewarded in today's NBA. I've always been fascinated by Westbrook's explosive style, and his contract reflects the Thunder's commitment to building around his unique talents. The Blake Griffin situation in Detroit was particularly interesting to me—his $31.8 million contract came as part of a surprising trade that reshaped both the Clippers and Pistons. Watching Griffin expand his game beyond highlight dunks to become a legitimate playmaker made that massive contract feel more justified as the season progressed.

Gordon Hayward's $31.2 million deal with Boston represents one of the more complicated financial stories of 2018. Having covered his journey from Utah to Boston, I was genuinely excited to see how he'd fit into Brad Stevens' system. The devastating injury in his first game as a Celtic created one of the most challenging contract situations I've seen—a max player unable to contribute on the court but still significantly impacting the team's salary cap. Kyle Lowry's $31 million contract with Toronto often gets criticized, but having watched him develop into an All-Star, I believe his leadership and two-way play made him worth every penny for the Raptors.

Paul George's $30.6 million situation with Oklahoma City was particularly fascinating from a contract perspective. His decision to re-sign with the Thunder rather than join the Lakers surprised many analysts, myself included. But watching him thrive alongside Westbrook, I understood why small-market teams are willing to pay premium prices to retain superstar talent. Mike Conley's $30.5 million contract with Memphis often gets overlooked in national conversations, but having studied the Grizzlies' roster construction, I appreciate how essential his steady leadership was to their identity.

The international aspect of these contracts reminds me of the global growth of basketball talent. While reviewing these NBA salaries, I recalled an interesting parallel from international volleyball—the story of the former La Salle floor general who won her first international award playing alongside one of the country's most decorated liberos in Dawn Macandili-Catindig. This demonstrates how professional sports worldwide are increasingly recognizing and rewarding elite talent, though the financial scales differ dramatically between sports and leagues.

Al Horford rounds out our list at $28.9 million with Boston, representing what I consider the value of versatility in today's NBA. Having watched Horford's game evolve from his Florida days through his Atlanta tenure to Boston, I've always appreciated how his skillset—defensive IQ, passing, and efficient scoring—ages beautifully. His contract might not grab headlines like some others, but it exemplifies how complete players who don't need high usage rates can provide tremendous value even with massive salaries.

Looking at these contracts collectively, I'm struck by how much the financial landscape has shifted toward rewarding offensive creators and versatile defenders who can space the floor. The average annual value of these top ten contracts sits around $32 million, with several players crossing the $35 million threshold—numbers that would have seemed impossible just a few years earlier. What fascinates me most is how these contracts reflect broader trends in the NBA: the increasing importance of three-point shooting, positionless basketball, and the growing revenue from television deals and international markets.

As we move beyond 2018, these contracts have set new benchmarks that continue to shape team building strategies and player movement decisions. The financial commitments teams made to these top earners demonstrate how the NBA has fully embraced the superstar-driven model, where identifying and retaining franchise cornerstones has become the primary pathway to championship contention. Having covered the business side of basketball for over fifteen years, I believe we're witnessing the maturation of the modern NBA economy—one where player value is more accurately reflected in compensation than ever before, though the sustainability of this growth trajectory remains an open question that fascinates me as both an analyst and a lifelong basketball fan.