NBA salaries are already some of the highest in existence but according to billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, we haven’t seen anything yet. During a recent appearance on Club Shay Shay, the former Mavericks majority owner explained how we could soon see players make upwards of $100 million per year.
Shannon Sharpe: “When Luka’s contract is up, he’s gonna have the biggest contract in NBA history. Do you believe we’re gonna get a point in time that we’re gonna see an NBA player with a $1 billion contract?”
Mark Cuban: “Yeah, for sure, but that presumes TV keeps going up the way it is… but you’re gonna see $100 million a year here shortly… Because if a TV contract has 10% increases in the cap, the way the CBA works. And you saw Steph had $62 million for one year. Luka will get a lot and it’s gonna go crazier. This year is still the old CBA but once that new money kicks in they’ll be making more money per year than I will. I’m not making $100 million every year. You’re gonna have players making more than the owners. That’s okay. There is no league without them.”
When it comes to finances, Mark Cuban is an expert. As one of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs/investors, he’s worth over $5.7 billion today and has his hand in countless business ventures both in the United States and overseas. At one point, he was the controlling owner of the Mavericks before selling his stake earlier this year.
Cuban knows the NBA process first-hand and he knows the trajectory that the league is turning. With a record number of fans, viewers, and interest worldwide, the NBA is expanding like never before and when the new CBA deal kicks in next season, it will open the floodgates on the league’s earning potential.
Since the beginning, NBA superstars have always been well-paid but their salaries have taken a steep climb over recent history. If things keep trending as they are, and the NBA continues to grow its profits across the board, we will see the player salaries rise to new heights.
As of July 2024, Celtics star Jayson Tatum holds the record for the richest NBA contract in history after signing a five-year, $314 million supermax extension this summer. The deal will pay Tatum roughly $62.8 million per year, which is seconded only by Stephen Curry, who will make $62.6 million in the 2026-27 season.
Before long, the contracts will reach $100 million per year and more for the top NBA athletes and there really is no cap to their earning potential. Even today’s young stars like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Edwards could reach that mark before the end of their career.
As it stands, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan are the only NBA billionaires but that number will surely grow if the league starts handing out contracts in the 10 figures.
If players really want to maximize their earnings, they should be doing whatever they can to promote the NBA and add excitement to every regular season game. The more people who watch, the more everyone gets paid and there are historic paychecks on the line for those who impede the experience for everyone else.
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