By virtue of being a superstar, LeBron James has typically been one of the highest-paid players in the league at any given point in time. However, this aspect changed dramatically this season when James accepted a significant pay cut to join the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.
Having signed a two-year, $8 million deal, LeBron James effectively agreed to a veteran minimum deal to be a part of a title-contending squad. While his willingness to accept a lower salary is noteworthy, The Athletic’s Brendan Marks and Joe Rexrode made a peculiar observation about his current contract.
For the 2026-27 season, James is expected to have a cap hit of $3.8 million, which is coincidentally less than what he earned during his rookie season. Aside from this, however, Marks and Rexrode noted that the 41-year-old’s new contract also saw him earn less than nearly 18 collegiate basketball players.
“At least 18 men’s college basketball players will earn more than LeBron James next season. The last time that was true? Try the 2002-03 season, when James was a senior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio. Technically, any college hooper on scholarship ‘made’ more than James at the time, though prominent players were getting more than room, board, and tuition long before the current era of compensation in the millions.”
It comes as no surprise that money in the NBA has changed. A clear example of this is this year’s No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybansta, who is on track to earn as much as James did during his stint with the Miami Heat in just his rookie contract. But that is still money in the NBA. The shift in college basketball has arguably been more noteworthy.
For several young prospects, making it to the NBA is challenging. However, when considering the perils of being a late first-round pick or even a second-rounder, including the lack of job security, the appeal of returning to college and earning consistently is reasonable.
NIL deals and direct revenue-share models typically lure young players back to playing in college. USC’s Alijah Arenas is a prime example of this. However, there are bigger fish in the pond.
“Florida’s Thomas Haugh is expected to be the highest-paid player in college basketball next season after he withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft despite being projected as a first-round pick. Matt Norlander of CBS reported Haugh’s earnings could exceed $10 million this season with the Gators, which is more than double what James will make,” Marks and Rexrode mentioned.
Florida’s Thomas Haugh leads the fray with a contract worth $10 million this season. Along with him, players like Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic, Louisville’s Flory Bidunga, St. John’s Tounde Yessoufou, and Gonzaga’s Mossamba Diop are also expected to earn above $5 million this year.
These are only five players on the list who are expected to earn more than LeBron James next year. The list continues by featuring Kansas’ Tyran Stokes, Texas A&M’s PJ Haggerty, Miami’s Somto Cyril, Duke’s John Blackwell, Indiana’s Aiden Sherrell, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, Indiana’s Semet Yigitoglu, Kentucky’s Zoom Diallo, Marquette’s Sananda Fru, Michigan’s Moustapha Thiam, Tennessee’s Juke Harris, Louisville’s Jackson Shelstad, and Texas’ David Punch.
While the exact contract values of the second set of players are not clearly established, they are set to earn at least $4 million this year. While this is certainly a lucrative deal for the young players, it really puts NBA money into perspective if one of the best players in the world earns less than a college student.
Regardless, it is clear that LeBron James’ decision to join Philadelphia was never motivated by money. With the 76ers boasting one of the best squads in the NBA, James’ decision was very clearly driven by the desire to contend for a title. Given what he brings to the table with his versatility even at this stage in his career, it is difficult to underplay how big of a threat the 76ers will be in the East next season.
