The Highest-Paid Los Angeles Lakers Player Every Season Since 2000

• Shaquille O’Neal was the Lakers’ highest-paid player from 2000-2004

• Kobe Bryant was the Lakers’ highest-paid player every year from 2005-2016

• Russell Westbrook and LeBron James are the only players to ever earn over $40 million in a season with the Lakers

When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers, they are easily one, if not the most recognizable brand in the NBA. From Los Angeles to The Philippines, the Lakers have a large market all around the world. Over the years, this has allowed them to pay their players fairly for making that brand the powerhouse that it is. Since 2000, money in the NBA has increased steadily to astronomical levels, especially when it comes to player salaries in big markets such as Los Angeles.

Today, we will take a look back at every season since 2000 for the Lakers and the players they made the highest-paid per season. We will determine if they lived up to these astronomical figures as well as what they accomplished on an individual and team level. Some of these players have gone on to become MVPs and NBA champions while others navigated the franchise’s worst years just trying to keep their heads above water.

These are the highest-paid Lakers players every season since 2000.

1999-00 Season – Shaquille O’Neal – $17,142,858

During the 2000 season, Shaquille O’Neal was not only the highest-paid player on the Los Angeles Lakers, but he was the highest-paid player in the entire NBA with a salary of $17.14 million. As the season unfolded, it became clearer and clearer as to why that was the case.

O’Neal would record as close to a perfect season as we have seen over the last 25 years. First, he would win All-Star Game MVP to kick off the series of awards he was set to take home. O’Neal would also go on to win the MVP award for 2000 averaging 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks while leading the Lakers to a 67-15 record. As we all know, his work was not done when the regular season ended.

O’Neal would end up leading the Lakers all the way to the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. In those Finals, despite Indiana’s best efforts, Shaq would completely dismantle the Pacers in six games as the Lakers went on to win their first NBA championship since 1988. O’Neal would be honored for his efforts with the Finals MVP award averaging 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game. It is still one of the highest-scoring performances in NBA Finals history, and it is safe to say that Shaq earned every single penny of his contract for that year.

2000-01 Season – Shaquille O’Neal – $19,285,715

For the 2000-01 season, Shaquille O’Neal remained the highest-paid player on the Lakers with a salary of $19.28 million. The only other player on the Lakers to make over $10 million for that season was Kobe Bryant who took home $10.1 million. No other player on the Lakers would earn over $6.5 million.

O’Neal was now the second highest-paid player in the NBA, falling just behind Kevin Garnett who would make $19.6 million for the season. In 2001, although he wouldn’t win MVP, Shaq and the Lakers continued their dominance over the rest of the NBA. They finished with a regular season record of 56-26 but saved their best performance for the NBA playoffs.

As a team, the Lakers would lose just one game in the entire playoffs which happened to be Game 1 of the NBA Finals against MVP Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. O’Neal and the Lakers would win four straight games after that to win their second straight NBA championship. Once again, O’Neal was honored with Finals MVP averaging 33.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game.

2001-02 Season – Shaquille O’Neal – $21,428,572

In 2001-02, Shaq remained the Lakers’ highest-paid player, and rightfully so, with a salary of $21.4 million. Kobe Bryant remained the second highest-paid player on the team earning $11.25 million while no other Lakers player made over $5.3 million. O’Neal also remained the second highest-paid player in the NBA behind Kevin Garnett who made $22.4 million for the 2001-02 season.

As the two-time defending NBA champions, the Lakers remained hungry to become just the third team to three-peat since the Boston Celtics of the 1960s. O’Neal would lead the team to a 58-24 record in the regular season averaging 27.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. In the NBA playoffs, O’Neal and the Lakers would go 11-4 in their first three series to advance to their third straight NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets.

New Jersey was no match for the firepower provided by both Shaq and Kobe during the Finals as the Lakers cruised to their third straight title in four games. O’Neal would claim his third straight Finals MVP with a dominant showing of 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.

2002-03 Season – Shaquille O’Neal – $23,571,429

For the fourth straight season, Shaquille O’Neal remained the Lakers’ highest-paid player with a salary that exceeded $23 million. Kobe Bryant was now making $12.4 million on the season and once again, no other Lakers player would earn over $5.3 million. Still, O’Neal was the NBA’s second highest-paid player behind Garnett who was now earning $25.2 million on the season.

During the regular season, O’Neal remained his dominant self averaging 27.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game and the Lakers went on to win 50 games. The NBA playoffs would not end up leading to a four-peat for Los Angeles who after defeating the Timberwolves in the first round, would lose to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the second round in six games. Shaq would average just 25.3 points and 14.3 rebounds in the series against San Antonio.

2003-04 Season – Shaquille O’Neal – $24,749,999

Even with the additions of both Gary Payton and Karl Malone, Shaq and Kobe Bryant remained atop the Lakers’ payroll in 2003-04. O’Neal would make $24.75 million while Bryant took home $13.5 million. Malone would only make $1.5 million for that season and Payton would make $4.9 million as well. O’Neal would remain number two in the NBA in salary behind Garnett who was now making %28 million per season.

The season went great for the Lakers to start, finishing with a 56-26 record ready to take over in the NBA playoffs. O’Neal averaged 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks during the season to help lead the Lakers to that record. Things went well in the NBA playoffs as well and the Lakers went 12-5 to reach their fourth Finals in five years.

Unfortunately for them, this is where the fun stopped as Los Angeles would be absolutely shell-shocked and dominated by a gritty and physical Detroit Pistons team. The Lakers would fall in five games and this would be the final time that we saw Shaquille O’Neal in a Lakers uniform.

2004-05 Season – Kobe Bryant – $14,175,000

With Shaquille O’Neal going to Miami, the Kobe Bryant era was officially underway in Laker Land. Bryant was the Lakers’ highest-paid player for the season with a $14.18 million salary and just behind him would be Brian Grant, who they acquired in the O’Neal trade, earning $13.2 million on the season. Lamar Odom would also earn over $10 million in 2004-05 with a $10.55 million salary.

The 2004-05 season would not go well for the Lakers. Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich would be dismissed after going 24-19 to start the season and interim coach Frank Hamblen and finish the year with a 10-29 record. Bryant would average 27.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on the year but the Lakers would win just 33 games and miss the playoffs for the first time since 1994. The Kobe Bryant era was not off to a good start.

2005-06 Season – Kobe Bryant – $15,946,875

The 2005-06 season would go a little better for the Lakers as it marked the return of Phil Jackson to the bench as head coach. Bryant remained the Lakers’ highest-paid player, earning $15.95 million for the season. Braun Grant remained in second place just behind Bryant with a $14.3 million salary and Lamar Odom would earn $11.5 million as well.

The Lakers would go on to win 45 games in 2005-06 led by Bryant’s torrid scoring and two-way play. Bryant would win the NBA’s scoring title averaging 35.4 points per game on 45.0% shooting from the field. Although they finished third in their division, they would earn a spot in the playoffs and a first-round meeting with the Phoenix Suns.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Suns, armed with MVP Steve Nash and a high-powered offense, proved to be too much. The Lakers would push the series to seven games led by Bryant’s 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game but 26 points from Leandro Barbosa led Phoenix to a win in Game 7.

2006-07 Season – Kobe Bryant – $17,718,750

The 2006-07 season would be yet another season in which Bryant led the Lakers in salary earning just over $17.7 million. Grant and Odom remained their second and third-highest-paid players with $14.85 and $12.4 million salaries respectively.

Bryant would have another great season individually, taking home his second straight scoring title averaging 31.6 points per game on 46.3% shooting and 34.4% shooting from three. The Lakers would finish the season at 42-40, earning another shot at the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

These playoffs would not be as competitive as the previous season as the Suns would dismantle the Lakers in just five games. Bryant led all scorers with 32.8 points per game and got a little help from Lamar Odom with 19.4 points per game. However, no other Lakers supporting player would go for over 9.0 points per game which was never going to get it done against an offensive powerhouse like Phoenix.

2007-08 Season – Kobe Bryant – $19,490,625

The 2007-08 season is when things started to turn around for Bryant and the Lakers. They made a big splash by acquiring Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies without giving up much in return. Bryant led the team in player salary again with a nearly $19.5 million season while Gasol and Odom would each make just over $13 million on the year.

The 2007-08 season would finally be the year in which Bryant would be named MVP for the only time in his career averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. The Lakers went on to win 57 games and were on fire heading toward the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Lakers would go 12-3 in their first three series to earn a spot in the NBA Finals against the Big Three of the Boston Celtics.

The series would be a dogfight as they battled for six games to determine a champion. In the end, Boston would prevail in six games despite 25.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.7 steals per game from Bryant. Although it ended in disappointment, the Lakers would be back to avenge their loss.

2008-09 Season – Kobe Bryant – $21,262,500

Only two players would make over $15 million for the Lakers during their 2009 season. Kobe Bryant led all players with a $21.3 million salary while Pau Gasol would take home %15.1 million. Lamar Odom finished with their third-highest salary at $14.15 million on the season as well.

The 2008-09 season would prove to be fruitful on the court as the Lakers were led by their two highest-paid players to a 65-17 record. Bryant would average 26.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game while Gasol contributed 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers would go 12-6 in their first three series to advance to their second straight NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic.

The NBA Finals would prove to be a mismatch in favor of the Lakers as they cruised to their first championship since 2002 in just five games. Bryant would be named Finals MVP with 32.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Gasol also played a major role with 18.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game to earn his first NBA championship.

2009-10 Season – Kobe Bryant – $23,034,375

As the best player in the world at the time, Bryant remained the Lakers’ highest-paid player for the 2009-10 season and ranked second in the NBA, just $200,000 behind Tracy McGrady. Pau Gasol remained the only other Lakers player to earn over $15 million and Andrew Bynum would be their third-highest-paid player with a $12.5 million salary.

As for on the court, the Lakers would again cruise to a solid 57-25 record, winning their division for the third year in a row. Bryant led the way with 27.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while Gasol chipped in with 18.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, the Lakers would go 12-4 with victories over the Thunder, Jazz, and Suns to advance to their third straight Finals and a chance at revenge for 2008 against the Boston Celtics.

The 2010 NBA Finals would be a battle between these two powerhouse teams with the series advancing to seven games. In the end, it was the Lakers who would have the last laugh with an 83-79 victory in Game 7. Kobe Bryant would earn his second straight Finals MVP award with 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game for his fifth and final NBA championship for his career.

2010-11 Season – Kobe Bryant – $24,806,250

Unsurprisingly, Kobe Bryant remained the Lakers’ highest-paid player for the 2010-11 season as he would for the remainder of his career in Los Angeles. The Lakers would boast the highest payroll in the NBA with Bryant earning $24.8 million, Pau Gasol earning $17.8 million, and Andrew Bynum making $13.7 million.

During the regular season, the Lakers looked prime to make a serious run at a three-peat as NBA champions. They finished the year at 57-25 and head toward the NBA playoffs as the favorites once again in the West. After a first-round win over the Hornets, the championship train would be derailed with an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. I guess they could have taken solace in the fact that Dallas went on to win the NBA championship but if we know Kobe Bryant, then we know that is not how the Lakers viewed their disappointing loss at all.

2011-12 Season – Kobe Bryant – $25,244,493

For the 2011-12 season, Kobe Bryant would own the title of highest-paid Laker and the highest-paid player in the NBA with a $25.24 million salary. The season would be cut to 66 games meaning that Bryant was set to take home just under $383,000 per game. Despite the shortened season, Bryant and the Lakers would win 41 games to just 25 losses behind 27.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists from Bryant.

In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers would first knock off the Denver Nuggets in a hard-fought seven-game series. They would find themselves in a tough matchup in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Kevin Durant. The series would end up being not much of a contest for Oklahoma City as they were able to dismiss the Lakers from the playoffs, needing just five games to get the job done. For the second straight season, the Lakers were eliminated before reaching the Conference Finals.

2012-13 Season – Kobe Bryant – $27,849,000

In 2012-13, the Lakers decided to make some big moves and acquire both Dwight Howard and Steve Nash for a shot at another NBA championship. Along with Bryant’s $27.85 million, the Lakers would pay Pau Gasol $19.3 million and Dwight Howard $19 million while Nash came in with a cool $8.9 million.

Despite the loaded roster full of talent and exorbitant salaries, the Lakers’ season was doomed from the start. There was tension between Howard and Bryant for almost the entire year and Nash struggled to stay on the court with injuries. In the end, they would still win 45 games under coach Mike Brown and make their way to the NBA playoffs.

The playoffs would be a lost cause however as the Lakers would be annihilated by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs handed the Lakers an embarrassing 4-0 series sweep and went on to win their fifth NBA championship. For the Lakers, they would get rid of Howard almost immediately upon the season’s end and it was back to the drawing board.

2013-14 Season – Kobe Bryant – $30,453,000

The 2013-14 season would mark the first time in his career that Kobe Bryant would earn a $30 million salary. With Howard gone, Pau Gasol remained the only other Lakers player to make serious money for the season with a $19.29 million salary. Steve Nash would come in as the third-highest-paid player at $8.9 million.

The season would be an outright disaster for the Lakers from the beginning. Kobe Bryant would play just six games on the season and Steve Nash would play just 15 games as well. In the end, a depleted and uninspiring roster could manage 27 wins for the season under Head Coach Mike D’Antoni. The Lakers would miss the NBA playoffs altogether and many fans began to see that Bryant was on the last legs of his NBA career.

2014-15 Season – Kobe Bryant – $23,500,000

Even with a slight cut in pay, Kobe Bryant remained the Lakers’ highest-paid player in 2014-15, making $23.5 million in salary. Jeremy Lin would be the only other player for the team to earn over $10 million with a $14.9 million salary for the season. Steve Nash remained under contract with a $9.7 million salary as well.

If the 2013-14 season was bad, the 2014-15 season ended up being much worse with the Lakers replacing D’Antoni with Byron Scott. The coaching change couldn’t stop Bryant from missing 47 games, and with no clear number-two option, the Lakers were doomed once again. They would go on to win just 21 games to 51 losses, marking their worst season in over 30 years.

2015-16 Season – Kobe Bryant – $25,000,000

Although the Lakers would be even slightly worse in 2015-16, the season could not have been less about how many games they won considering it was a farewell to Kobe Bryant. After 20 seasons in the NBA, the injuries began to be too much for him to handle and he announced before the season that it would be his last.

Despite winning just 17 games on the year, the Lakers made sure Bryant went out on a legendary high note. In his final game against the Utah Jazz, in front of his hometown Los Angeles crowd for the last time, Bryant would end his career with one last 60-point performance and a victory. The career of Kobe Bryant was now over as we said goodbye to one of the greatest players in NBA history.

2016-17 Season – Luol Deng – $18,000,000

The seasons that immediately followed Kobe Bryant’s departure would be an absolute mess for the Los Angeles Lakers. First, they would sign Luol Deng to one of the worst contracts in NBA history, paying him $18 million for the 2017 season, a season in which he played just 56 games and failed to live up to the money with just 7.6 points per game on 38.7% shooting overall.

Lou Williams would be their leading scorer off the bench with 18.6 points per game and Nick Young, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and D’Angelo Russell would all add just over 13.0 points per game. All of this was for naught, however, as the Lakers would win just 26 games and fail to make the NBA playoffs yet again.

2017-18 Season – Brook Lopez – $22,642,350

The Lakers would make some serious changes during the 2017 offseason that would make them slightly better for the 2018 season. The biggest addition they made would be bringing in Brook Lopez who was set to make $22.6 million for the season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Luol Deng would be the only other Lakers players to earn at least $15 million with each player making just over $17 million on the year.

The Lakers would have nine players average at least 10.0 points per game on the season led by Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Julius Randle with 16.1 points per game each. With their new young core showing out in their first season together, experience would be their downfall as they won just 35 games and missed the playoffs once more. Despite the down season, there was a certain NBA superstar watching from afar who would soon come and save the franchise.

2018-19 Season – LeBron James – $35,654,150

In the 2018 offseason, the Lakers would make the biggest splash of any team in the NBA. They signed the most coveted free agent perhaps ever when they inked LeBron James to a deal that would bring him to Los Angeles. James arrived in L.A. with championships on his mind but there would be growing pins before there was success.

Up until Christmas, the Lakers would have one of the best records in basketball before the injury bug struck big. LeBron James would go down with a calf injury that caused him to miss 27 games and see the Lakers fall all the way out of playoff contention. Despite the loss of James, the Lakers would improve to 37 wins on the year and the young core showed a ton of promise for the future. Also, the front office had something in the works that would completely reshape their team and lead directly to maximum success.

2019-20 Season – LeBron James – $37,436,858

LeBron James would remain the Lakers’ highest-paid player in 2020 although the team brought in another superstar to propel them to the top 11 in payroll. The Lakers would trade away Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and other assets to the Pelicans in order to bring in Anthony Davis and immediately form the best duo in the game between him and James.

With the addition of Davis, the Lakers looked unstoppable as they went 52-19 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down for almost three months. When the season restarted in the Bubble at Disney World, the Lakers would pick up right where they left off. They would defeat the Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Nuggets in their first three playoff matchups, setting up a chance at the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Despite Miami’s best efforts, the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis proved to be far too much as the Lakers would take home their 17th NBA championship in six games. LeBron James would take home his fourth Finals MVP with 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game. Davis would contribute on an elite level as well with 25.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.

2020-21 Season – LeBron James – $39,219,566

For the 2020-21 season, both LeBron James and Anthony Davis would make over $30 million in salary. Davis would take home $32.7 million while James would earn $39.2 million. Dennis Schroeder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would both earn north of $10 million as well with no other member of the Lakers getting to that threshold.

As they set out on their title defense, injuries to both LeBron James and Anthony Davis would hinder their chances at a repeat as champions. After navigating the newly-formed play-in tournament, the Lakers found themselves in a tough matchup with the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. Despite their best efforts, the Lakers would fall in six games as injuries lingered for both James and Davis all series long.

2021-22 Season – Russell Westbrook – $44,211,146

In the 2021 offseason, the Lakers would bring in Russell Westbrook via trade with the Washington Wizards to form a Big Three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With the addition of Westbrook would come his monster contract that saw him earn just over $44 million on the year. LeBron James would also earn north of $40 million with a $41.2 million salary.

Despite how good the team looked on paper, the fit would be terrible with Westbrook on the court. With every turnover and missed jump shot, Lakers fans began to turn on Westbrook as the Lakers slipped down the standings. Injuries to both Davis and James again would lead to an abysmal 33-49 record and a missed opportunity to get back to the NBA playoffs. Despite the disappointing season, the Lakers were committed to 2022-23 with the same roster as before, a move they would scratch by the time that 2023 was over.

2022-23 Season – LeBron James – $44,474,988

LeBron James returned to the Lakers in 2022-23 as their highest-paid player making just under $44.5 million for the season. Anthony Davis would be right behind him with a $37.9 million salary as well. The acquisition of D’Angelo Russell Midseason would make him their third-highest-paid player with a $31.4 million salary as the Lakers completely revamped their roster.

The Lakers would turn around their season at the trade deadline. They were able to shed Westbrook and his massive contract which made way for the acquisitions of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt among others. With the moves, the Lakers were able to play their best basketball and get through to the NBA playoffs via the play-in tournament once again.

In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers would defeat the Grizzlies and Warriors in their first two rounds, setting up a matchup with the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Despite their best efforts, the Lakers would be dominated and swept by the duo of Jamal Murray and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic in four games, cutting short their miraculous turnaround to their season. 

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