The Most Expensive NBA Teams Every Season From 1991 To 2023

As it has become abundantly clear over the years, the NBA is a business just as much, if not more than, it is a sport. Every season, 30 NBA teams set out to compile the best rosters and staff to go out and compete for an NBA championship. In order to do that, they must build their rosters using the money and salary cap space they have as an organization, sometimes limiting their abilities to do their jobs successfully.

Over time, you will see that the teams that spend the most money often do not win the most championships. Sure, it is nice to afford two max players and another All-Star, but not everyone can afford that luxury, and it has been proven that teams can win without it, even in today’s era of superteams and star players teaming up across the league.

As we journey through the last 30-plus years of the NBA, we will cover the teams who spent the most money each season and if their spending paid off with an NBA championship. We will also highlight the players who they shelled out the most money for and how they fared during these specific seasons. Of course, there will also be a mention of the NBA champions and where they ranked in terms of team salaries that season as well as the evolution of the highest-paid players in NBA history, a list that features all players from the last 25 years of basketball.

Get ready for an unexpected journey through the most expensive NBA teams from 1991 through 2023.

1990-91 Season

Cleveland Cavaliers – $14,403,000

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Hot Rod Williams – $3,785,000

2. Danny Ferry – $2,640,000

3. Mark Price – $1,400,000

The Cleveland Cavaliers of the early 1990s were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. That would not be the case for the 1990-91 Cavaliers, who had the most expensive roster in the NBA that season. The first major issue for Cleveland was health which contributed to their 33-49 record on the season and a failure to make the NBA playoffs.

For Cleveland, their highest-paid player, Hot Rod Williams, would play just 43 games, mostly off the bench, but average more than 30.0 minutes per game. During these 43 games, he averaged just 11.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG, which ranked toward the bottom of the roster. Danny Ferry, Cleveland’s second-highest-paid player, would appear in 81 games with only two starts averaging 8.6 PPG and 3.5 RPG.

To top it off, Cleveland’s starting point guard, and $1.4 million man, Mark Price, was lost after just 16 games due to injury. The season was left up to Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty, the other two players in Cleveland, to make over $1 million for 1990-91, but they were not enough to get Cleveland into the playoffs.

The NBA championship would be won by the Chicago Bulls with a 22nd-ranked team salary of $10,040,000. Michael Jordan would be named Finals MVP in his first of six NBA championships for the decade while making less than both Williams and Ferry with his 1990-91 salary being $2.5 million.

1991-92 Season

Boston Celtics – $25,343,000

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Larry Bird – $7,070,000

2. Kevin McHale – $3,500,000

3. Reggie Lewis – $3,340,000

After enjoying major success during the 1980s with three NBA championships, the Boston Celtics began to turn over a new leaf in the 1990s. The 1991-92 season would prove to be the final season of Larry Bird’s career as his back issues had become too much of an issue to continue on after 13 seasons in the NBA.

Boston attempted to send Bird off with one last run at the championship, which would end up falling short. As the high-paid player on the team with over $7 million in salary, Bird could only get on the court for 45 games averaging 20.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 6.8 APG. The Celtics would win 51 games and the Atlantic Division heading into the NBA playoffs. Reggie Lewis, the team’s third-highest-paid player, led Boston in scoring with 20.8 PPG and started all 82 contests.

After sweeping the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, Bird was virtually unplayable as his back had deteriorated completely. The Cavaliers would defeat the Celtics in seven games in the Conference Semifinals with Lewis leading the team with 28.0 PPG in the playoffs. Once again, it would be the Bulls taking home the NBA championships with a slightly different payroll outlook. Chicago now had the third-highest salary in the NBA yet Jordan was still paid less than Boston’s top three earners at $3,250,000.

1992-93 Season

Boston Celtics – $25,217,000

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Robert Parish – $3,513,000

2. Kevin McHale – $3,500,000

3. Reggie Lewis – $3,320,000

As far as team salaries go, the Celtics maintained their number-one spot for 1992-93 even after losing Larry Bird to retirement. They were still paying Bird $2.3 million for the 1992-93 season even though he would not suit up for them in a single game that season.

Robert Parish ballooned up to the highest salary on the team at just over $3.5 million. It was Parish’s 13th season with the Celtics and he gave them 79 starts at 39 years old. He was able to average 12.6 PPG and 9.4 RPG to help Boston with 48 games and head to the playoffs. Kevin McHale played over 70 games off the bench that season as their second-highest-paid player, but it was clear he was no longer the same player he once was.

Once again, the team’s third-highest-paid player, Reggie Lewis, was Boston’s leading scorer with 20.8 PPG during the regular season. The playoff run would be extremely short-lived as the Celtics met the Hornets in the first round. McHale and Parish led the team in scoring and combined for 36.0 PPG through the series’ four games that it lasted but it was not enough to combat the duo of Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning who combined for 55.8 PPG in the series.

The Bulls would take home their third straight NBA championship behind a historic 41.0 PPG performance by Michael Jordan. Chicago had the fourth-highest team salary in the NBA for the 1992-93 season with Jordan finally making over $4 million as he rightfully deserved and Scottie Pippen earning $3.43 million as well.

1993-94 Season

Cleveland Cavaliers – $23,711,000

Three Highest Paid Players

1. Hot Rod Williams – $3,786,000

2. Danny Ferry – $3,543,000

3. Brad Daugherty – $3,541,000

The Cleveland Cavaliers make their second appearance on the list for their payroll during the 1993-94 season that exceeded $23 million. Only three teams had a salary that surpassed $23 million that season which also includes the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers. In the end, none of these three teams would be NBA champions or even make the NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers’ salary was a bit inflated at this time due to the $3.79 million they were paying Hot Rod Williams. In his eighth season with the team, Williams averaged 13.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.7 BPG in 76 games played. Danny Ferry’s $3.54 million was a big hit as well considering he played just over 13.0 minutes per game off the bench and was not nearly worth the amount of cap he was eating up.

Brad Daugherty rounds out Cleveland’s top three highest-paid players’ averaging a double-double with over 17.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG on the season in just 50 games played. When the NBA playoffs came around, the Cavaliers were far too beat up to compete with the Bulls in the first round and were promptly swept in three games.

The NBA championship would eventually be won by the Houston Rockets who had the 19th-highest salary at $16.76 million in 1993-94. Finals MVP Hakeem Olajuwon made less for his efforts that season at $3.17 million than any of the three-highest paid Cavaliers players mentioned above. David Robinson remained the NBA’s highest-paid player at $5.74 million.

1994-95 Season

Los Angeles Lakers – $42,068,300

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Magic Johnson – $14,660,000

2. James Worthy – $7,250,000

3. Vlade Divac – $3,333,300

The 1994-95 Los Angeles Lakers are an interesting team to break down financially. It is interesting for once fact and once fact only. Nearly $22 million of their $42.07 million salary went to two players who would not play a game for the team that season. The Lakers were still paying Magic Johnson nearly $14.7 million while he recovered and sought treatment for HIV. He would return for 32 games in 1995-96.

James Worthy was also one of the highest-paid Lakers players despite retiring after the 1993-94 season. Worthy would make $7.25 million during the 1994-95 season, which was nearly six times what he made in 1993-94. The highest-paid Lakers player who actually hit the court would be Vlade Divac. He would start 80 games for the Lakers that season and averaged 16.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 2.2 BPG.

Divac and the Lakers would win 48 games and head into the NBA playoffs. They would defeat the Seattle SuperSonics in four games but fall to the Spurs in six games in the following round. The NBA championship would once again belong to the Houston Rockets who had the 24th-highest payroll at $17,578,600. Only the Bullets, Pistons, and Bucks had a lower salary. Only Hakeem Olajuwon, Kenny Smith, and Otis Thorpe would make over $2 million for the 1994-95 season in Houston.

1995-96 Season

New York Knicks – $43,329,000

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Patrick Ewing – $18,724,000

2. Anthony Mason – $3,472,000

3. Charles Smith – $3,357,000

The 1995-96 season saw a new team take the top spot as the one shelling out the most money for that fiscal year. The Knicks were the only team to top $40 million in salary for the 1995-96 season which was mainly due to one player’s enormous demands. Patrick Ewing, a Knicks legend and superstar, made nearly $18.3 million for the season that year as the highest-paid player in the entire game.

Ewing would play 76 games and average 22.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 2.4 BPG to lead the Knicks to a 47-35 record. Second-highest-paid player Anthony Mason would also contribute 14.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 4.4 APG. In the NBA playoffs, the Knicks looked dominant in their first-round sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, that was short-lived as they lost in five games the following round to the eventual NBA champion Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls had just the 15th-highest payroll that season at just over $23.5 million. Compared to Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan was making peanuts for 1995-96 with just $3.85 million headed his way for the performance he put on. Jordan would claim his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP award with a win over the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Finals.

1996-97 Season

Chicago Bulls – $58,270,000

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Michael Jordan – $30,140,000

2. Dennis Rodman – $9,000,000

3. Toni Kukoc – $3,960,000

It took a few years, but we have finally reached a time during the last 30 seasons when the team with the highest salary would actually become NBA champions. Most of Chicago’s $58 million-plus salary could be attributed to Michael Jordan who would not only be the highest-paid player in the NBA for the first time but was also making above $10 million for the first time in his career.

It had long been discussed that Jordan was heavily underpaid compared to what he had done for the Bulls and the NBA as a whole. Finally, that narrative was abolished. Dennis Rodman, premier defender and rebounder, was also making $9 million after coming over to Chicago in 1995-96 after a short stint with the Spurs. Where it gets interesting is the fact that Toni Kukoc was earning more money than Chicago veteran and beloved legend Scottie Pippen.

Pippen had famously made one of the worst contract decisions ever during his most recent negotiations.

This Bulls team would be worth every penny as they went on to win an NBA record 72 games with just 10 losses. That record fell in 2016 when the Warriors won 73 games. Unlike those Warriors, however, the Bulls would go on to close things out in the NBA Finals over the Utah Jazz. It would be Michael Jordan’s fifth NBA championship and Finals MVP award win during the 1990s.

1997-98 Season

Chicago Bulls – $61,330,670

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Michael Jordan – $33,140,000

2. Toni Kukoc – $4,560,000

3. Ron Harper – $4,560,000

For the second season in a row, the Chicago Bulls would shell out the most money in salary during the 1997-98 season. Also for the second season in a row, the Bulls made Michael Jordan the highest-paid player in the NBA while they went on to win an NBA championship.

The 1997-98 season was an up-and-down one for Chicago. They started off slow while missing Scottie Pippen due to back issues that would eventually cost him a ton of time during the championship run and the playoffs. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Toni Kukoc took his $4.56 million for the season and averaged 13.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.2 APG.

Ron Harper and Dennis Rodman would also make over $4.5 million each for the 1997-98 season and would be vital to the Bulls closing out their second three-peat of the decade. As they had their last dance and secured their sixth NBA championship since 1990-91, Michael Jordan set the NBA record for most Finals MVP awards with six and promptly walked away from the game after 13 seasons in the Windy City.

1998-99 Season

New York Knicks – $59,945,400

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Patrick Ewing – $18,500,000

2. Larry Johnson – $10,186,000

3. Latrell Sprewell – $8,300,000

Just as things were during the 1994-95 season, the New York Knicks built a team with championship aspirations around Patrick Ewing, the highest-paid player in the NBA. It is also important to note that due to a lockout, the 1998-99 season was just 50 games long before they stormed toward the NBA playoffs.

The Knicks would finish the season with a 27-23 record, just sneaking into the playoffs. The team would be carried by their big-money players, including Allan Houston who was making $4 million that season and hit a game-winner for the Knicks against a Miami Heat team with their own NBA title aspirations.

Once again as the NBA team with the highest salary for the season, the Knicks found themselves back in the NBA finals just as they were in 1995. Unfortunately for them, they would end up losing the Finals just as they did in 1995 as well, to the San Antonio Spurs led by a second-year stud in Tim Duncan. The Spurs had the seventh-highest salary in the NBA in 1998-99 with Duncan still on his rookie deal worth $3.41 million and David Robinson making just over $14 million.

1999-2000 Season

Portland Trail Blazers – $73,898,705

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Scottie Pippen – $14,795,642

2. Rasheed Wallace – $10,800,000

3. Damon Stoudamire – $10,125,000

To kick the new millennium off, the Portland Trail Blazers would surpass the Knicks by $1.6 million in salary to take the number one spot for the 2000 season. After years of being underpaid, Scottie Pippen was now making over $14 million annually to play with Portland. He would play all 82 games with the team and averaged 12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.0 APG.

Rasheed Wallace was another key player for Portland in 2000 as the team’s leading scorer with 16.4 PPG as well as one of their leading rebounders and best interior defenders. Wallace was the only other Portland player than Pippen making over $10,5 million and he delivered on his worth as the team won 59 games and made their way to the playoffs.

In each of the first two rounds of the playoffs, Portland made easy work of the Jazz and Timberwolves. They would fall in seven games in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers had the third-highest payroll in the NBA that season, as well as the highest-paid player in the NBA, Shaq, who won both MVP and Finals MVP with the Lakers in 2000.

2000-01 Season

Portland Trail Blazers – $87,395,140

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Scottie Pippen – $13,750,000

2. Rasheed Wallace – $12,600,00

3. Shawn Kemp – $11,720,000

For the second straight season, the Portland Trail Blazers would boast the highest salary in the NBA, more than $13 million more than the Knicks, who were second. Scottie Pippen remains their highest-paid player despite his play and health clearly declining. Pippen mustered only 64 appearances in 2001 and averaged only 11.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.6 APG. Pippen and the Trail Blazers were still a tough opponent in the West and finished with 50 wins on the year.

Portland had made the right decision by paying Rasheed Wallace over $12.5 million as he continued to develop into one of the game’s leading power forwards. He led Portland in scoring and rebounding with 19.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG while also recording over 1.0 SPG and 1.8 BPG. The real head-scratcher for Portland was paying out-of-shape big man Shawn Kemp over $11.5 million to come off the bench for 68 games.

In the NBA playoffs, the Trail Blazers found themselves outmatched by the Lakers once again. They would be swept by Los Angeles in three games behind an unreal performance from O’Neal and Bryant. All five starters averaged at least 11.0 PPG in the series for Portland but the 52.0 PPG from Bryant and O’Neal was far too much to overcome. With over $87 million in salary, a first-round exit is as disappointing as it gets.

2001-02 Season

New York Knicks – $85,993,039

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Allan Houston – $12,750,000

2. Larry Johnson – $11,335,714

3. Latrell Sprewell – $11,250,00

For the third time on our list already, the New York Knicks once again flaunted the highest salaries in the NBA during the 2001-02 season. It had been three years since their last Finals appearance and they were hoping the money they shelled out meant another chance at glory. They were wrong.

Allan Houston began to earn a big-money deal with the Knicks, taking in $12.75 million for the 2002 season. Houston would play all 82 games and averaged 22.5 PPG while shooting nearly 40.0% from three on over 5.5 attempts. Of course, he would be their only bright spot. Larry Johnson was the Knicks’ second-highest-paid player and wouldn’t even play a game for them after retiring following the 2001 campaign.

Latrell Sprewell was also making over $11 million but was disappointing with 16.4 PPG for the entire year. The Knicks would spend all of that money just to miss the playoffs with a 37-45 record on the year. The NBA champions would be the Los Angeles Lakers who had now dropped to 12th in salary in the NBA. Shaq was no longer the highest-paid player in the NBA but was second to Kevin Garnett in 2002.

2002-03 Season

Portland Trail Blazers – $105,595,657

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Scottie Pippen – $19,727,524

2. Rasheed Wallace – $16,200,000

3. Shawn Kemp – $12,621,028

Yet again, we have the Portland Trail Blazers atop the NBA’s highest-paying teams in 2002-03 with the only payroll that exceeded $100 million. Still remaining as their highest-paid player was Scottie Pippen who was now 37 years old and reeling from back and foot issues that limited him to 64 games. Pippen averaged just 10.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 4.5 APG in those contests but Portland still found a way to win 50 games.

This was due to the continued play and development of Rasheed Wallace who once again led Portland in scoring with 18.1 PPG and rebounding with 7.4 RPG. Portland would be handicapped a bit by their third-highest-paid player, Shawn Kemp who was out of the NBA at the time but was still being paid over $12.6 million by the Trail Blazers for the 2002-03 season.

Despite Portland’s 50 wins, they would go no further than the first round once again in the playoffs, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in seven games. Pippen was virtually unplayable as he came off the bench and averaged just 5.8 PPG in less than 20 minutes on the court. The NBA champions would be the San Antonio Spurs for the first time since 1999 with the 16th-highest salary in the NBA. Portland’s 100 million compared to the Spurs’ $53.2 million is pretty embarrassing when you consider where each team ended up.

2003-04 Season

New York Knicks – $89,444,820

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Allan Houston – $15,937,500

2. Antonio McDyess – $13,500,000

3. Keith Van Horn – $13,279,750

For what seems like the 10th straight season, both the Knicks and Portland would be in a race for the most expensive team during the 2003-04 season. The Knicks finished with a payroll$6.5 million more expensive than Portland, giving them the number-one spot yet again during the 2000s.

The Knicks were led by Allan Houston who was the only player on the team making over $15 million on the year. Unfortunately, he would only be available for 50 games due to knee injuries and averaged just 18.5 PPG in those contests. Antonio McDyess would be paid over $13 million as well but would be traded after just 18 games with the Knicks paying the remainder of his salary. Keith Van Horn would also be traded after 47 games to the Bucks as the Knicks clearly worked to get their financial situation under control.

The Knicks would miss the playoffs once again in 2003-04 with the champions coming from their own conference to add insult to injury. The Detroit Pistons would win the NBA championship armed with the 17th-highest salary in the league. Finals MVP Chancey Billups would make around $5 million for the 2003-04 season, one-third of Allan Houston’s $15-plus million handed out by the Knicks.

2004-05 Season

New York Knicks – $102,567,539

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Allan Houston – $17,531,250

2. Stephon Marbury – $14,625,000

3. Anfernee Hardaway – $14,625,000

Now, I understand even more why Knicks fans were so frustrated during the 2000s. It wasn’t just that the team was bad but the fact they were spending over $100 million per season couldn’t have helped either.

Allan Houston, the Knicks’ highest-paid $17 million man would be limited to only 20 games in the 2004-05 season with his knee issues becoming worse and more frequent. Penny Hardaway, a really old and worn-out version of him anyway, would also be limited to 37 games off the bench and produced just 7.3 PPG during his time on the court.

The only player who seemed to earn his $14.5 million paycheck was Stephon Marbury. The talented guard would start all 82 games for New York and average 21.7 PPG, 8.1 APG, and 1.5 SPG. Marbury couldn’t help the Knicks win enough games to make the playoffs as the $100 million roster failed to reach 35 wins yet again. The San Antonio Spurs, on the other hand, would be NBA champions for the third time in six seasons behind another Finals MVP from Tim Duncan with the 24th-highest payroll in basketball.

2005-06 Season

New York Knicks – $126,631,098

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Allan Houston – $19,125,000

2. Stephon Marbury – $16,453,125

3. Anfernee Hardaway – $15,750,000

Time keeps moving on answer travel through our list and the New York Knicks keep spending an insane amount of money on their rosters. The Knicks would top $120 million in payroll in 2005-06 and win even fewer games than in the previous season.

First, the Knicks continued to pay Allan Houston even as he missed the entire 2005-06 season, finally retiring after 2005. The team was also spending $15.75 million on Penny Hardaway who they kept for all of four games before he retired as well having fallen victim to injuries for most of his career.

The Knicks’ $16.5 million man, Stephon Marbury would also miss 22 games on the year despite being New York’s leading scorer and assists man for the second year in a row. The 2005-06 Knicks would win just 23 games and miss the playoffs by a mile. In the end, it would be the Miami Heat hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champions with the 15th-highest payroll at $60.7 million and Shaq earning over $20 million of that himself.

2006-07 Season

New York Knicks – $117,350,866

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Stephon Marbury – $17,184,375

2. Steve Francis – $15,070,000

3. Jalen Rose – $14,601,500

It is never a good sign when your three highest-paid players are all point guards who are seemingly past their primes. Then again, there weren’t many decisions the Knicks made during the 2000s that made any sense to much of anyone across the NBA.

The Knicks first had to pay Jalen Rose for the 23 games he played for them the season before, meaning they were paying him over $14.6 million to play for the Suns for 29 games before calling it a career. Then, a knee injury to Steve Francis limited him to just 44 games of 11.3 PPG and 3.9 APG, worth far less than the $15 million they were paying him that season.

Once again, it was Marbury earning the most money with New York. His $17.2 million salary got the Knicks 74 games of 16.4 PPG and 5.4 APG from Marbury who seemed checked out and uninterested on the court. The result was less than 35 wins again for the team as frustrations grew in a city that once prided itself on competitive basketball. The NBA champions would once again be the San Antonio Spurs for the fourth time since 1999, with the eighth-highest payroll of $65.6 million.

2007-08 Season

Dallas Mavericks – $101,694,879

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Jason Kidd – $19,728,000

2. Michael Finley – $18,593,750

3. Dirk Nowitzki – $16,360,094

After years of hovering in or around the top five, the Dallas Mavericks became the highest-spending team in the NBA with their $101.7 million payroll in 2007-08. This is on the heels of a disappointing 2007 season that saw the Mavericks earn the first seed in the West and Dirk Nowitzki win MVP only to lose in the first round of the playoffs to the Warriors.

For starters, the Mavericks were still paying Michael Finley’s $18.6 million annual salary even after he had been on the Spurs for two seasons. They were also paying Jason Kidd nearly $19.8 million for just 29 games in 2007-08 due to injuries that kept him out of the lineup. Nowitzki, although always willing to take a pay cut, earned just under $16.4 million while putting up near-MVP numbers again with 23.6 PPG and 8.6 RPG.

The Mavericks would win 51 games and head into the playoffs as big underdogs. In the first round, they would be defeated in five games by the New Orleans Hornets, led by MVP candidate Chris Paul and David West. As for the NBA championship, that would go to the Boston Celtics who had just built a Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. That trio earned Boston the seventh-highest salary in the NBA for 2007-08 but ended up winning them their first title since 1986.

2008-09 Season

New York Knicks – $96,643,646

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Stephon Marbury – $20,840,625

2. Larry Hughes – $12,827,676

3. Eddy Curry – $9,723,983

After one season without the highest payroll in the NBA, the New York Knicks overtook the number-one spot yet again for 2008-09. The Knicks outspent the Mavericks by just over $1 million when it came to their roster that season but once again did nothing to help them win games on the court.

The Knicks would win 32 games and miss the playoffs once more whilst having the highest payroll in the NBA. At this point, it had to be just flat-out embarrassing. The Knicks really felt a blow to their pockets, having to pay Stephon Marbury over $20 million while he was wearing a Celtics uniform for 23 games before going overseas to play. They also paid Eddy Curry and Larry Hughes over $22.5 million combined for just 28 games played between the two of them. Curry would play three games while Hughes played 25.

With so much money invested in players who did little to nothing for their team, it is no wonder the Knicks had no chance that season to compete with the likes of Boston or Cleveland, or even Orlando in the East. The Lakers, who would end up winning the championship, had the sixth-highest payroll that season but was still $18.4 million less than what the Knicks paid in 2008-09.

2009-10 Season

Los Angeles Lakers – $91,378,064

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Kobe Bryant – $23,034,375

2. Pau Gasol – $16,452,000

3. Andrew Bynum – 12,526,998

The 2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers are just the fourth instance on this list in which the NBA champion also was the most expensive team salary-wise that season. The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol both on the court and as far as payouts go for their contributions to the 2010 team.

Both Gasol and Bryant accounted for nearly $40 million of the $91.4 million payroll the Lakers dished out in 2010 and rightfully so. The pair had just led the Lakers to their first NBA championship together in 2009 and were primed to do so again in 2010 with a 57-25 overall record in the regular season and a seven-game series win over the Celtics in the NBA Finals.

The only other player on the 2009-10 Lakers to earn anywhere over $10 million was Andrew Bynum. Around this time is when Bynum began to experience injury issues that would ultimately end his career early. He would play 65 games during the regular season and averaged 15.0 PPG and 8.3 RPG in those games. In the playoffs, his production would drop considerably to 8.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG. Regardless, the 2010 Lakers were world champions once again and Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP for the second straight season.

2010-11 Season

Los Angeles Lakers – $91,428,140

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Kobe Bryant – $24,806,250

2. Pau Gasol – $17,823,000

3. Andrew Bynum – $13,700,00

For the second straight season, the Lakers would lead the NBA in salary once again with a team payroll that exceeded $91 million. Also, the same three players for Los Angeles remained at the top of the list for the highest-paid on the team and they were Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum.

Bryant and Gasol were fantastic for Los Angeles once again as expected. Bryant averaged 25.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 4.7 APG on 45.1% shooting. Gasol averaged a double-double with 18.8 PPG and 10.2 RPG as the Lakers went on to win 57 games just as they did the year before. Bynum, who made over $13 million in 2011, played just 54 games and averaged 11.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG during his time on the court.

Unfortunately for L.A., their time during the NBA playoffs would be cut short for a third try at the NBA championship. They would be swept by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the postseason as Dirk Nowitzki and company looked unbeatable throughout the playoff run. Dallas was the third-most expensive team that season at just over $85 million with Nowitzki’s contract being the 12th-highest among players at $17.28 million.

2011-12 Season

Los Angeles Lakers – $88,264,478

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Kobe Bryant – $25,244,493

2. Pau Gasol – $18,714,150

3. Andrew Bynum – $14,900,000

For the third straight year, the Los Angeles Lakers trotted out the most expensive lineup in basketball headlined by Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum. Of course, Bryant and Gasol were the two leaders of the team just as they had been since the team acquired Gasol in 2007-08 and advanced to their first of three straight NBA Finals.

The 2011-12 season would be a different story for the Lakers as they came off an embarrassing finish to their 2011 season. Bryant led the team again with 27.9 PPG, playing 58 games out of a 66-game season. Gasol and Bynum each averaged double-doubles as well with Bynum’s injury issues looking much better with 60 games played averaging over 18.5 PPG and 11.8 RPG. After defeating the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers would fall short once again as they fell in five games to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The NBA champions would be crowned in South Beach as the Miami Heat led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh captured the title in five games over the same Thunder team that knocked off the Lakers. Miami had the eighth-highest payroll at just over $75 million while the Thunder ranked 21st in the NBA at $59.5 million.

2012-13 Season

Los Angeles Lakers – $100,131,988

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Kobe Bryant – $27,849,000

2. Dwight Howard – $19,261,200

3. Pau Gasol – 19,000,000

Clearly, the Lakers had no issues shelling out money during the 2010s, as the 2012-13 season marked the fourth season in a row that the Lakers would be the most expensive team in the NBA. This time, they welcomed a new member to the team’s highest-paid players, one that would turn out to be a disaster.

On the outside, everything looked good as the duo of Kobe and Gasol added the most coveted free agent on the market Dwight Howard, and veteran Steve Nash to the rotation. Unfortunately, Howard and Kobe were at odds despite Howard’s All-Star season and the experiment would last for only this season before Howard was gone. The team would win just 45 games and be swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs would go on to meet the Heat in the NBA Finals that season, falling in seven games to Miami behind a spectacular series from Finals MVP LeBron James. Miami boasted the third-highest team payroll in 2012-13, exceeding $80.4 million. Kobe was the highest-paid player in basketball yet again while the Miami Heat’s Big 3 each made just over $17 million for the season.

2013-14 Season

Brooklyn Nets – $102,589,967

Three-Highest Paid Players

1. Joe Johnson – $21,466,718

2. Deron Williams – $18,466,130

3. Paul Pierce – $15,333,334

Just as the 2010s were beginning to hit the midway point, the Brooklyn Nets tried to make the biggest splash in the NBA. Backed by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, the Nets approached the business as if money were no issue. As we would see almost immediately, money rapidly became an issue for the Nets.

In the 2013 offseason, the Nets made one of the bigger trades in NBA history when they acquired Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry from Boston. Pierce and Garnett were clearly not the same versions of themselves that they were at their peak, as Garnett missed nearly 30 games and Pierce averaged just 13.5 PPG in 75 games played.

The Nets would finish with a record of 44-38 on the season and advance to the NBA playoffs. They surprisingly took down the Raptors in the first round in seven games but were quickly eliminated in the following round by the Miami Heat in five games. The Heat would advance to the NBA Finals but lose to the Spurs in five games themselves. The Spurs would be NBA champions behind the 19th-highest payroll led by Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard who made just $1.9 million on the season.

2014-15 Season

Brooklyn Nets – $87,817,289

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Joe Johnson – $23,180,790

2. Deron Williams – $19,754,465

3. Brook Lopez – $15,719,000

For the second straight season, the Brooklyn Nets led the NBA in team payroll even after cutting over $15 million in salary from the season before. Joe Johnson would lead the team in salary with a contract worth over $23 million in 2014-15, as he averaged 14.4 PPG in 80 games played. With Paul Pierce gone after one season, the Nets would spend over $35 million on both Deron Williams and Brook Lopez.

Williams was underwhelming as well, playing 68 games and averaging just 13.0 PPG and 6.6 APG during his time on the court. Brookl Lopez would eventually become the greatest center in team history and he showed early signs of it during the 2015 season as he led the Nets in scoring and rebounding with 17.2 PPG and 7.4 RPG.

The Nets would finish with a disappointing 38-44 record on the season but still sneak their way into the playoffs in an overwhelmingly bad Eastern Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, the Nets would fall in six games to the Atlanta Hawks. The NBA championship would be decided between the Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. The Warriors would win the NBA championship in six games, but little did the league know that a dynasty was being born with the 14th-highest payroll in the NBA.

2015-16 Season

Cleveland Cavaliers – $108,300,458

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. LeBron James – $22,970,500

2. Kevin Love – $19,689,000

3. Kyrie Irving – $16,407,500

We now come to the next instance of the largest payroll in the NBA becoming NBA champions at the end of the season. The story of the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers is one that will be remembered forever and it is no surprise that their three highest-paid players delivered one of the greatest runs in NBA history.

As the only team with a payroll that exceeded $100 million in 2015-16, the expectations were great for Cleveland, and they came through. James and Irving led their team to the NBA Finals once again to face off with the 73-9 Warriors who had broken just about every record a team can during the course of a season. After falling down 3-1 in the series, Cleveland’s core led the Cavaliers to the greatest comeback and upset in NBA history to win the first championship ever for the Cavaliers.

All of the money and trades they made to make this championship was worth it when they hoisted that championship trophy in the air and were able to call themselves champions. James was the second-highest-paid player in the NBA that season, trailing only Kobe Bryant in yearly salary at $25 million. Kevin Love ranked 11th and Kyrie Irving ranked 21st.

2016-17 Season

Cleveland Cavaliers – $128,522,489

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. LeBron James – $30,963,450

2. Kevin Love – $21,165,675

3. Kyrie Irving – $17,638,063

In 2016-17, the NBA’s salary cap exploded and numerous teams found their payrolls exceed $100 million. At the top of it, all were the Cleveland Cavaliers, once again led by the Big 3 of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love.

As expected, LeBron James led all Cavaliers in salary, making nearly $31 million for the 2016-17 season. James was of course worth every penny averaging 26.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 8.7 APG. Kyrie Irving also earned his $17.6 million salary with 25.2 PPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.2 SPG in 72 games played in the year. Kevin Love would struggle with injury a bit as would be the theme for a time moving forward but averaged 19.0 PPG and 11.1 RPG in 60 games played.

The Cavaliers would advance to the NBA Finals for the third season in a row but stood no chance against an overpowering Warriors team now armed with Kevin Durant, one of the NBA’s most lethal offensive players ever. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in five games. The fallout from the Finals’ loss would include Kyrie Irving asking for a trade and being accommodated with one to the Boston Celtics.

2017-18 Season

Cleveland Cavaliers – $137,722,926

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. LeBron James – $33,285,709

2. Kevin Love – $22,642,350

3. George Hill – $20,000,000

For the third season in a row, the Cavaliers led the NBA in total salary for the 2017-18 season. They only paid around $100 thousand more than the Warriors did on the season which isn’t surprising considering these two teams would end up meeting for the fourth season in a row in the NBA Finals.

LeBron James, who earned just over $33 million in 2017-18, was a different and more motivated version of himself throughout the regular season and playoffs. Many argue that 2018 was the most complete version we have ever seen of LeBron in the NBA. Even though the Cavaliers would get swept in the NBA Finals, James left it all on the court and earned his monster contract.

George Hill is the outlier here, making $20 million in 2017-18. Hill would start just 24 games averaging less than 10.0 PPG. He would make 19 appearances in the playoffs as well and average 9.2 PPG on 45.0% shooting from the field. The Cavaliers would fall once again to the Warriors, marking the end of LeBron James’ second stint in Cleveland which ended on far better terms than the stint that ended in 2011.

2018-19 Season

Miami Heat – $153,171,497

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Chris Bosh – $26,837,720

2. Hassan Whiteside – $24,434,262

3. Ryan Anderson – $20,421,546

For the first time in their franchise history, the Miami Heat led the NBA in total payroll in 2018-19. The Heat were a few years removed from their LeBron James years, so it was a bit of a shock to see them so high on this list without James employed by their organization.

Leading the Heat in salary was Chris Bosh, earning nearly $27 million on the season. Bosh would make this money even three seasons after being forced to leave the game after doctors found blood clots that could have taken his life at an early age. The next highest-paid player would be Hassan Whiteside who would play 72 games and average 12.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. Ryan Anderson also made nearly $20.5 million to play 10 games for the Heat that season after being traded from Phoenix.

The Heat would fail to even make the playoffs with their inflated payroll, finishing 39-43 on the season. The NBA championship would belong to the Toronto Raptors who were led by Kawhi Leonard in his first season there along with a host of solid complementary players. The Raptors ranked fourth that season in total payroll with a team that cost $137.8 million led by four players earning over $20 million per season.

2019-20 Season

Oklahoma City Thunder – $132,017,938

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Chris Paul – $38,506,482

2. Steven Adams – $25,842,697

3. Danilo Gallinari – $22,615,559

Also for the first time in their team’s history, the Oklahoma City Thunder come in for the highest payroll during the 2019-20 season. Even without top stars that they had in the past such as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder never came close to what they had to pay out in 2019-20 with a $132 million payroll.

Leading things money-wise for the Thunder was Chris Paul who has been one of the highest-paid players in the NBA for some time now. Paul was a real catalyst for the Thunder averaging 17.6 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 1.6 SPG as one of the better two-way guards in the NBA. Steven Adams also made over $25 million in 2020, playing just 60 games and averaging 10.9 PPG and 9.3 RPG. Adams’ worth cannot be measured by numbers though when you learn what he has meant to every locker room he has been a part of.

The Thunder would go 44-38 in the regular season and end up losing in seven games to the Rockets in the playoffs in the Bubble at Disney World. The Lakers would go on to win the NBA championship in the Covid-shortened season with the 11th-highest payroll at just over $123 million. Chris Paul was tied for the second-highest salary in the NBA that season with Russell Westbrook. LeBron James, Finals MVP, was ranked sixth making $37.5 million.

2020-21 Season

Golden State Warriors – $171,105,334

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Stephen Curry – $43,006,362

2. Klay Thompson – $35,361,360

3. Andrew Wiggins – $29,542,010

After a few seasons of hovering toward the top of the NBA in terms of payroll, the Warriors took over the top spot for the 2020-21 season. The Warriors were paying three players more than $25 million but were three players that would soon deliver them an NBA championship, just not in 2021.

Stephen Curry took his rightful claim as the highest-paid player in the NBA earning just over $43 million for 2021. Curry would put on a clinic during this season, winning the scoring title with 32.0 PPG on 42.1% shooting from three. Klay Thompson, who was making over $35 million didn’t play a single second of the season while recovering from two major lower-leg injuries. Andrew Wiggins was a nice addition for them with 18.6 PPG, but it would not be enough to get them beyond an eighth seed or the play-in tournament.

Instead, the NBA title would fall into the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo took over the playoffs like a man possessed and delivered the first championship to Milwaukee since 1971. While Curry enjoyed being the highest-paid player in basketball, Giannis was ranked 38th with a salary of $27.5 million for the year.

2021-22 Season

Golden State Warriors – $178,980,766

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Stephen Curry – $45,780,966

2. Klay Thompson – $37,980,720

3. Andrew Wiggins – $31,579,390

The Warriors would head into the 2022 season with the highest payroll in the NBA once again, but this time would find much better results at the end of the season. As Klay Thompson returned from injury and other role players began to step up, Golden State became an NBA championship contender once again, dooming the rest of the NBA to a familiar fate.

Stephen Curry would earn the NBA’s most money again with a season in which he raked in over $45.7 million. It would be worth it in the end as Curry led the Warriors to their fourth title in eight seasons while claiming his first Finals MVP award. Both Thompson and Wiggins played pivotal roles on both sides of the ball to help deliver the championship in a win over the Celtics.

The Warriors should have never been counted out, even as the team struggled amid injury issues and uncertainty within their locker room. Armed with a nearly $180 million payroll and a championship core, they prevailed once again as NBA champions and proved they were not to be forgotten or downplayed as long as that core remained intact.

2022-23 Season

Los Angeles Clippers – $192,905,421

Three Highest-Paid Players

1. Paul George – $42,492,492

2. Kawhi Leonard – $42,492,492

3. Eric Gordon – $19,568,360

We have finally arrived at this past season in the NBA, and a section you may want to ignore if you are a Clippers fan. This past season saw extensions kick in for both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both worth nearly $42.5 million. Unfortunately for the Clippers, they cost them almost half their payroll with nothing to show for it in the end.

This past season saw Kawhi miss 30 games due to injury and load management while ending up having a decent regular season averaging 23.8 PPG in those 52 games he played. Paul George would also make nearly $42.5 million while also averaging 23.8 PPG. George did play four more games than Leonard but missed the entire playoffs as Leonard would eventually do as well after playing parts of two games in their first-round loss to the Suns.

Eventually, the NBA championship would go to the Nuggets who had the eighth-highest payroll in the NBA. Two-time reigning MVP and Finals MVP Nikola Jokic made just over $33 million, while his partner-in-crime Jamal Murray made just over $31.5 million. The duo led the Nuggets to their first championship in franchise history, while the Clippers are left with huge holes and questions about their future.

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