How Much Does an NBA Player Make?
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Ever wonder how much an NBA player makes? We take a look at the average salary, as well as the highest and lowest earners in the league.
NBA Players’ Salaries
The average NBA player’s salary is $7.7 million per year. However, a rookie in the NBA will make a minimum of $582,180 and maximum of $2,898,000. Players who have been in the NBA for more than 10 years can make up to $35,845,000 per year. So, how much does an NBA player make? It depends on their experience and seniority.
NBA players’ average salary
The average NBA player’s salary is $7.7 million, according to Spotrac. The median salary is $2.8 million. The minimum salary for a player with one year of experience is $898,310. The maximum salary for a player with 10 or more years of experience is $35,658,000. Salaries vary based on years of experience and role on the team.
NBA players’ minimum salary
The NBA has a minimum salary that all players must be paid. For the 2020-21 season, the minimum salary is $502,813. Players on the minimum salary must have two years of experience or less in the NBA.
The maximum salary for an NBA player is $41.25 million. Players can make a maximum of 30% of their team’s salary cap, which is set at $109 million for the 2020-21 season.
NBA players’ maximum salary
The maximum salary an NBA player can earn is determined by the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players. The maximum salary for a player with 0 to 6 years of experience is $25,750,000. A player with 7 to 9 years of experience can earn a maximum of $30,000,000. A player with 10+ years of experience can earn a maximum of $35,000,000.
NBA Players’ Endorsements
NBA players’ average endorsement deals
According to a study conducted by Forbes, the average NBA player reportedly earns $24.6 million annually. However, when looked at more closely, it’s clear that this number doesn’t paint the whole picture. For one thing, it doesn’t include information on players who are unsigned or have yet to enter into an endorsement deal. Furthermore, the study found that endorsement deals account for approximately 16% of the average player’s salary, which means that the median endorsement deal among all NBA players is actually closer to $4 million.
So what do these deals look like? Here is a breakdown of the average annual value of some of the most common types of endorsement deals for NBA players:
-Product endorsements: $5 million
-Appearance fees: $500,000
-Shoe contracts: $1 million to $2 million+
-Memorabilia contracts: $500,000 to $1 million
-Equipment contracts: $250,000 to $500,000
NBA players’ maximum endorsement deals
Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, players can earn up to 35% of their team’s total salary cap as their maximum annual salary. However, most players sign for significantly less than that amount, as the team uses its remaining cap space to sign other players. In addition to their salaries, NBA players also receive a portion of their team’s playoff revenue, which is put into a pool and divided among the players on the roster.
In order to maximize their earnings, many NBA players have endorsement deals with companies that pay them for wearing or using their products. These deals can be worth millions of dollars per year, and some players have endorsement portfolios that are even more valuable than their NBA contracts. The following is a list of the maximum endorsement deals that have been signed by NBA players:
· Adidas – $200 million over 10 years (2013) – Kevin Durant
· Nike – $87 million over 7 years (2015) – LeBron James
· Under Armour – $52 million over 10 years (2015) – Stephen Curry
· KIBS + KIDS (Korean company) – $32 million over 8 years (2017) – Jerry West
NBA players’ minimum endorsement deals
Each NBA player’s minimum endorsement deal is worth $500,000 annually, according to a report from Forbes. The average player in the league earns $7.3 million a year from their endorsement deals, while the top-earning player in the league, LeBron James, rakes in a whopping $52 million a year.
How NBA Players’ Salaries Compare to Other Athletes
NBA players are some of the highest paid athletes in the world. The average salary for an NBA player is $7.7 million per year. This is more than double the average salary of MLB players, which is $3.2 million per year. NBA players also make more than NHL players, which is $2.9 million per year.
NBA players’ salaries compared to MLB players’ salaries
Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are both hugely popular professional sports leagues in the United States. Although the two leagues are very different in terms of the actual gameplay, they share one major similarity: the players in both leagues are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
In 2019, the average MLB player made $4.36 million per year, while the average NBA player earned $7.7 million. That means NBA players make, on average, nearly twice as much as MLB players. However, it’s important to keep in mind that these are just averages and that there is a wide range of salaries within each league. For instance, while the highest-paid MLB player (Bryce Harper) made $26 million in 2019, the highest-paid NBA player (Stephen Curry) made nearly triple that amount at $37 million.
When looking at salaries across all major professional sports leagues, NBA players rank near the top. In 2019, only NFL players and soccer players (in European soccer leagues) earned more than NBA players on average.
NBA players’ salaries compared to NFL players’ salaries
In general, NBA players make more money than NFL players. The average salary for an NBA player is $7.7 million, while the average salary for an NFL player is $2.1 million. NBA players also tend to have longer careers than NFL players, so they can make more money over the course of their careers.
However, there are some exceptions. For instance, the top NFL players can make much more money than the top NBA players. In fact, the highest-paid NFL player, quarterback Drew Brees, makes $25 million per year. That’s more than three times the average NBA salary!
So while NBA players make more money on average than NFL players, the top earners in each sport can vary depending on a number of factors.
NBA players’ salaries compared to NHL players’ salaries
The average NBA player’s salary is $7.8 million while the average NHL player’s salary is $2.9 million. NBA players therefore make approximately 2.7 times more than NHL players. However, it is important to note that the average NBA player’s salary has been steadily increasing over the past few years while the average NHL player’s salary has remained relatively stagnant. In fact, the average NBA player’s salary has increased by nearly $1 million since 2010 while the average NHL player’s salary has only increased by $300,000 during that same time period.
How NBA Players’ Salaries Have Changed Over Time
The average NBA player made $5.15 million during the 2016-2017 season, which was a decrease from the previous season. However, this is still a significant amount of money. Let’s take a look at how NBA players’ salaries have changed over time.
NBA players’ salaries in the 1980s
In the 1980s, NBA players were paid an average of $332,000 per year. The salary cap for each team was $3.6 million. The minimum salary for a player with two years of experience was $40,000, and the maximum salary for a player with ten years of experience or more was $600,000. Players could also earn bonuses for being named to the All-Star team or winning the MVP award.
NBA players’ salaries in the 1990s
In the 1990s, the average NBA salary was around $2 million. However, there was a wide range of salaries among players, with some making much more than the average and some making much less. The highest-paid player in the NBA in the 1990s was Michael Jordan, who made $30 million per year. The lowest-paid player in the NBA in the 1990s was typically a rookie or second-year player who was still on his rookie contract. Rookies in the 1990s typically made between $100,000 and $400,000 per year.
NBA players’ salaries in the 2000s
In the 2000s, the NBA saw a significant increase in player salaries. In 2003, the average salary was $4.9 million, and by 2009, it had increased to $5.6 million. The highest-paid player in the 2000s was Kobe Bryant, who earned an average of $27.8 million per year. LeBron James is a close second, earning an average of $22.9 million per year.
NBA players’ salaries in the 2010s
In the 2010s, NBA players saw a dramatic increase in salaries. The average player salary rose from $5.15 million in 2010 to $7.7 million in 2019, an increase of nearly 50%.
One of the main reasons for this increase is the influx of television money into the NBA. In 2010, the NBA signed a new television deal with ESPN and Turner Sports that was worth $24 billion over nine years. This deal resulted in a massive increase in revenue for the league, and players’ salaries soon followed suit.
Another reason for the uptick in NBA salaries is the growth of the league’s popularity around the world. With basketball becoming increasingly popular in countries like China and India, the NBA has been able to generate more revenue from international markets. This increased revenue has been shared with players in the form of higher salaries.
Finally, the increasing costs of running an NBA franchise have also contributed to higher player salaries. With franchise values rising and player costs (such as insurance and benefits) increasing, team owners have had to pay more to keep their rosters intact. This has led to a trickle-down effect, with players receiving larger paychecks as a result.