How Much Do NBA Players Make Per Game?

NBA players’ per game salary varies wildly by contract, experience, and role, with the 82-game regular season as baseline. Stephen Curry leads 2025-26 lists with $59.6 million a year, at an annual rate of approximately $727 000 per game ($59.6M 82). Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are behind at $55.2M (~$673,000/game). The lowest-paid earners receive $1.16M (~$14,150/game). The playoffs do not contribute to the pay directly; however, they increase the number of endorsements. Curry and role players have similar salaries; stars (such as Curry) are paid $1M+ per game plus bonuses; role players receive salaries near 50K- 200K. The total league payroll reaches 5.6B, an increase of 10 percent per year, with a limit of less than 154M. Per-minute? Curry ~$9,000 (48 min/game).

Top Earners Per Game

Stephen Curry: $727K/game. LeBron James: $642K/game (4th all-time).​

Minimum to Mid-Tier Pay

Rookies: ~$14K/game; vets $100K-300K/game on mid-level deals.

Playoffs and Bonuses Boost

No extra game pay, but rings yield max contracts, ads ($100M+ for Curry).​

Official Social Embed

https://www.espn.com/nba/salaries