When free agency starts, money gets thrown all over the place. The crazy amount of zeros that gets added to contracts can be a bit overwhelming for the common fan. With that said, the NBA has made it clear that to win a championship in this league, you need at least two superstar players, if not three.
- Honorable Mention
- Nikola Jokic And Jamal Murray – $56.9 MillionF
- 10. Tobias Harris And Ben Simmons – $58.9 Million
- 9. Karl-Anthony Towns And D’Angelo Russell – $60.6 Million
- 8. Devin Booker And Chris Paul – $62.4 Million
- 7. John Wall And Eric Gordon – $62.5 million
- 6. Rudy Gobert And Donovan Mitchell – $62.9 Million
- 5. Damian Lillard And CJ McCollum – $74.5 Million
- 4. Giannis Antetokounmpo And Khris Middleton – $74.8 Million
- 3. Steph Curry And Klay Thompson – $83.6 Million
- 2. James Harden And Kevin Durant – $85.2 Million
- 1. Russell Westbrook And LeBron James – $85.3 Million
That can come at a very steep price. However, just because you have the highest-paid NBA duo on the court does not necessarily mean that you will win. It also doesn’t mean that you will even make the playoffs.
Before we get into the specifics, let’s point out that among the highest-paid superstars in the league, Bradley Beal ($34.5 million) and Pascal Siakam ($33.0 million) have high salaries, but not a counterpart that can match high enough to get them into the top-10. We need to also keep in mind that the duo of Paul George ($39.3 million) and Kawhi Leonard would be on this list, but Leonard’s new contract details have not been released yet.
Two duos nearly cut, but sadly their contracts weren’t high enough. Jimmy Butler (36.0 million) and Bam Adebayo ($28.1 million) were just on the outside but could be in the top-10 soon when Butler’s new deal begins. Julius Randle ($19.8 million) nearly made it thanks to the high salary that Kemba Walker ($36.0 million) brings to the table.
Now that is out of the way, let’s take a look at the money. Here are the most expensive duos of the 2021-2022 season.
Honorable Mention
Nikola Jokic And Jamal Murray – $56.9 MillionF
Just think about this for a moment. Had Leonard’s salary been totaled by now, the reigning MVP wouldn’t even be in the honorable mention of the most expensive duo’s list. The combination of Jokic ($31.5 million) and Jamal Murray ($29.4 million) would be sitting on the outside. You can appreciate what Jokic brings to the table from a basketball sense, but also that you are getting a player of his talent for about $20 million less than market value.
The only thing Jokic is missing in comparison to the likes of Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, both future $50-million per year players, is that elusive championship. If Murray can stay healthy, as well as the surrounding cast, the Nuggets have a chance to make a run this year.
10. Tobias Harris And Ben Simmons – $58.9 Million
9. Karl-Anthony Towns And D’Angelo Russell – $60.6 Million
8. Devin Booker And Chris Paul – $62.4 Million
7. John Wall And Eric Gordon – $62.5 million
Wall will be the second-highest paid player in the league this year at $44.3 million. With the addition of Gordon’s $18 million salaries, the rebuilding Rockets own one of the most expensive duos in the league. The Rockets fell on hard times last season, watching James Harden leave via trade, and suffer through enough losses to get the No. 2 overall pick. That’s why seeing this combined salary has to hurt even more for fans in Houston.
Wall used to be one of the best, if not the best, point guards in the league. With a couple of major injuries on his resume, he is half the player he once was. As for Gordon, he is the 2017 Sixth Man of the Year but has struggled to stay on the court, playing just 63 combined games the last two seasons.
6. Rudy Gobert And Donovan Mitchell – $62.9 Million
5. Damian Lillard And CJ McCollum – $74.5 Million
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo And Khris Middleton – $74.8 Million
3. Steph Curry And Klay Thompson – $83.6 Million
2. James Harden And Kevin Durant – $85.2 Million
1. Russell Westbrook And LeBron James – $85.3 Million
