It can pay handsomely to be a professional athlete, and these days the biggest contracts are going to basketball and baseball players.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a four-year, $285 million contract extension on Tuesday, making him the highest-paid player in the league with an average salary of $71.3 million per season when the deal kicks in the 2027-28 season.
By comparison, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is making $60 million per season, Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is making an average of $14 million as the National Hockey League’s highest paid player, and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani makes $70 million a season, but $680 million of that total is being deferred, and scheduled to paid out starting in 2034.
Here are the biggest contracts in NBA history, in terms of value and annual salary:
Highest-paid NBA players, by total contract value
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, five years, $313 million
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: four years, $285 million
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: five years, $285 million
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: five years, $276 million
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons: five years, $269 million
Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers: five years, $269 million
Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns: five years, $251 million
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves: five years, $244 million
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers: five years, $244 million
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: five years, $228 million
Highest-paid NBA players by annual average salary
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: $71.3 million
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 64.3 million
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: $62.8 million
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: $58.4 million
Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks: $58.4 million
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: $57 million
Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors: $55.4 million
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: $55.2 million
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat: $55.116 million
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks: $55.1 million
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: $55.1 million
Richest contracts in North American sports history
Juan Soto, New York Mets: 15 years, $765 million
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers: 10 years, $700 million
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: 10 years, $450 million
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: 12 years, $426.5 million
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers: 12 years, $365 million
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: nine years, $360 million
Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 11 years, $350 million
Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 10 years, $341 million
Fernando Tatís Jr., San Diego Padres: 14 years, $340 million
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies: 13 years, $330 million
