The Largest NBA Contract Ever

The Los Angeles Lakers and Lebron James have agreed to a four-year, $154 million contract according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski

The largest NBA Contract Ever

In 2017, NBA superstar Lebron James signed the largest contract in NBA history worth a staggering $154 million over four years. The deal made James the highest-paid player in the league, eclipsing the previous record holder, Kevin Durant who had signed a $153 million deal with the Golden State Warriors just days earlier.

James’ contract is more than double the value of the next largest contract in NBA history which was signed by fellow superstar Kobe Bryant back in 2016. That deal was worth $48.5 million over two years.

So why is James’ contract so much larger than any other player in NBA history? There are a few factors at play.

First, James is simply a once-in-a-generation talent. He’s widely considered to be the best player in the world and has been compared to Michael Jordan in terms of his impact on the game. As such, he commands a premium price on the open market.

Second, James has been remarkably durable throughout his career. He’s played in all 82 regular season games 11 times in his 15 seasons, an incredible feat for any player, let alone one with such a physically demanding job. His longevity means that he’s likely to provide more value over the life of his contract than any other player in history.

Finally, James is an incredible marketing tool for any team he plays for. His name and image sell tickets and jerseys and help to fill arenas around the league. For a team like the Los Angeles Lakers who are hoping to rebuild their brand after a few down years, James is worth every penny of his massive contract.

The Largest NBA Contract in History

In 2017, the Golden State Warriors signed Kevin Durant to a two-year contract worth $54.3 million. This was the largest contract ever signed by an NBA player at the time.

The Warriors had to pay a hefty price to keep Durant, as he was one of the most sought-after free agents on the market. However, they were ultimately able to retain him, and he has since helped them win two more NBA championships

Durant’s contract is no longer the largest in NBA history as that honor now belongs to James Harden of the Houston Rockets Harden signed a four-year extension worth $170 million in 2017, which is the richest contract ever given to an NBA player

The Largest NBA Contract of All Time

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) stipulates that no player can sign a contract worth more than 30% of the team’s salary cap In 2014, the maximum salary a player could earn was $20.7 million. However, there are ways around this limit.

One such way is called a “sign-and-trade” deal, in which a player agrees to sign with one team and then is immediately traded to another. The new team can pay the player whatever it wants, and the old team can take back players or draft picks to make the salaries match up.

In 2016, NBA Superstar Kevin Durant took advantage of this loophole when he signed a two-year, $54.3 million contract with the Golden State Warriors He was immediately traded to the Warriors from the Oklahoma City Thunder and his new team was able to pay him far above the maximum salary.

This deal made Durant the highest-paid player in NBA history… for about two months. In August 2016, Stephen Curry signed a five-year extension with the Warriors worth $201 million. That made him the NBA’s first ever $40 million per year man!

The Largest NBA Contract Ever Signed

On July 1st, 2016, Kevin Durant made the biggest Free agency splash in NBA history when he agreed to sign a 2-year, $54.3 million contract with the Golden State Warriors Durant’s deal topped the previous record for an NBA free agent contract, which was set by Lebron James when he signed a 2-year, $42.1 million deal with the Miami Heat in 2010.

The first year of Durant’s contract will pay him $26.5 million, which is more than double the $12.6 million that he made last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder In total, Durant will make $61 million over the next two seasons(2016-17 & 2017-18), which is also more than double the amount that he made in his first nine NBA seasons combined($28.9 million).

While Durant’s new contract is certainly eye-popping, it’s important to remember that the NBA’s salary cap is rising at an unprecedented rate. In just two years, the salary cap is projected to jump from $94.1 million to $102 million(a staggering 8.2% increase). As a result of this rising salary cap Durant’s new deal actually represents a pay cut for him when compared to his last contract.

Under the old CBA(Collective Bargaining Agreement), players used to be able to sign contracts worth up to 30% of their team’s total salary cap However, under the new CBA that was agreed upon in December of 2016, players are now only able to sign contracts worth up to 25% of their team’s total salary cap As a result of this change, Durant’s new contract with the Warriors is actually worth less than his old contract with the Thunder when factoring in both percentage of team salary cap and overall dollars paid.

The Largest NBA Contract in the NBA

In the summer of 2016, the NBA saw a massive influx of TV money that led to a salary cap explosion. This was good news for players around the league, but especially for Kevin Durant who was able to sign a record-breaking contract with the Golden State Warriors

Durant’s deal is worth $54.3 million over two years, making it the largest contract in NBA history The previous record was held by Kobe Bryant who signed a two-year, $48.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013.

The size of Durant’s contract is a testament to his stature as one of the best players in the world. It also reflects the fact that he’s still in his prime at age 28, and will likely continue to be one of the league’s top stars for years to come.

The Largest NBA Contract for a Player

On July 1, 2016, the NBA’s free-agency period began, and with it came a feeding frenzy of contracts totaling over $1 billion. The biggest contract of them all went to small forward Kevin Durant who agreed to a two-year, $54.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors Durant’s deal is the largest contract ever in the NBA.

The previous record holder was forward/center Al Jefferson, who signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets in July 2013. That deal was eclipsed by forward/center Brook Lopez’s four-year, $61 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in July 2016. But Durant’s contract is still the largest ever in terms of average annual salary: $27.2 million per year.

The Warriors had to shell out big bucks to keep Durant from leaving for another team this summer. He was reportedly considering offers from the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics before ultimately deciding to stay put in Golden State

The Largest NBA Contract for a Rookie

In the summer of 2017, the Philadelphia Sixers and their newly-minted star player Ben Simmons agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $170 million. The deal made Simmons the highest-paid rookie in NBA history and his average annual salary of $34 million is also the largest ever given to a player with zero All-Star Appearances

Simmons was the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and he immediately impressed with his Court Vision and passing ability. He averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game during his debut season, but he missed out on being named Rookie of the Year due to an injury that kept him sidelined for the entire campaign.

The Sixers are clearly betting big on Simmons’ potential, and they’re hoping that he can be the cornerstone of a championship-caliber team in the near future. Only time will tell if Simmons is worth such a massive investment, but it’s safe to say that he has all the tools to become one of the league’s best players.

The Largest NBA Contract extension

On July 1st, 2018, the Portland Trail Blazers and center Jusuf Nurkić agreed to a 4-year, $48 million contract extension, which is set to kick in during the 2019-20 season This deal makes Nurkić the highest-paid player in Blazers’ franchise history, eclipsing Damian Lillard’s previous record of $41.3 million.

The Bosnian-born Nurkić was originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in February of 2017 and has since become an integral part of their rotation. In 67 games last season, he averaged 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 80.5 percent from the free-throw line

The Largest NBA Contract for a Free Agent

In the summer of 2016, Kevin Durant made the decision to join the Golden State Warriors As a result, he signed a two-year deal worth $54.3 million dollars, which is the largest free agent contract in NBA history This huge deal comes with a player option for the 18-19 season meaning Durant could become a Free Agent again next summer.

The previous record for the largest free agent contract was held by Dwight Howard who signed a four-year, $88 million deal with the Houston Rockets in 2013. That contract has since been eclipsed by two other contracts: LeBron James’s two-year, $85 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Steph Curry’s five-year, $201 million extension with the Warriors.

Durant’s new contract puts him among some of the highest-paid athletes in the world. In addition to his annual salary from the Warriors, Durant also has endorsement deals with Nike, Beats by Dre, and Under Armour that are worth an estimated $30 million per year. When you factor in his earnings from endorsements and salary, Durant is set to make an astounding $60 million dollars this year!

The Largest NBA Contract

In July 2016, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook agreed to a contract extension that will keep the All-Star point guard in OKC through the 2018-19 season. The contract is worth $85.7 million, which makes it the largest contract in NBA history

Westbrook was originally drafted by the Thunder in 2008 and has been a key part of the team’s success over the past few years. He was named an All-Star for the first time in 2013 and has been named to the All-NBA teams three times. In 2016, he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player

The extension comes as a bit of a surprise because Westbrook is eligible for free agency next summer and there have been rumors that he could leave Oklahoma City for a bigger market team. However, with this extension, Westbrook will be under contract with the Thunder for at least four more seasons.

The previous record for the largest NBA contract was held by Kevin Durant who signed a $82 million extension with the Thunder in 2010.