Steph Curry’s Rank on NBA Current and Future Career Earnings List: NBC Sports Bay Area and California
Stephen Curry hasn’t just changed the way basketball is played, he’s changed the way it’s evaluated.
Spotrac has released its updated list of the highest career earning players in the NBA, and Curry is currently in third place, behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Durant passed James for the top spot on Sunday after signing a two-year, $90 million extension with the Phoenix Suns that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.
Other members of the top 10 include Devin Booker, Paul George, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum – a mix of established stars and younger faces quickly climbing the list.
That younger wave could soon completely reshape the rankings. With Booker, Gilgeous-Alexander and Tatum all still in their early 20s and already at max extensions, they’re on track to shatter the totals set by Curry, James and Durant as new TV deals and cap increases push salaries even higher.
Curry, however, has been at the forefront of the league’s salary evolution. In 2017, he became the first player in NBA history to sign a $200 million contract, a five-year contract worth $201 million. Two years later, he became the first to earn more than $40 million in a single season.
He surpassed that mark again in 2021, signing a four-year, $215 million extension that made him the first player ever to sign multiple $200 million contracts. That deal helped him become the first to make over $50 million in 2023-24, and by 2026-27 he will be the first player to top $60 million in a single season.
In recent years, Curry has steadily climbed Spotrac’s career earnings rankings. He first appeared in the top 10 at No. 7 through 2022-23, rose to No. 4 through 2023-24 and reached No. 3 this year, where he is expected to remain for the foreseeable future as his current contract runs through 2026-27.
Curry’s journey among the NBA’s top three career players reflects more than a decade of continued excellence and positions him to stay there as new deals reshape the league’s financial landscape.
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