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For the 2026-27 season, Stephen Curry has the NBA’s highest listed player cap hit, at $62.59 million. That figure comes from a salary ranking Sporting News published on June 29, 2026, based on Spotrac data. It is the most recent ranking of this kind we can cite as of October 8, 2026.
“Highest-paid” can mean several different things, and the answer changes with the measure. A cap hit is a season-specific figure, while total contract value covers every year of a deal, and all-in earnings add endorsements and other off-court income. The sections below separate those measures so you can see which answer applies to your question.
The 2026-27 cap-hit ranking
The ranking labels its table “player cap hits,” meaning the amount each player’s contract counts against his team’s salary cap for the season. Curry leads it, followed closely by Nikola Jokic.
| Rank | Player | 2026-27 cap hit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) | $62.59 million |
| 2 | Nikola Jokic | $59.03 million |
| 3 (tied) | Giannis Antetokounmpo | $58.46 million |
| 3 (tied) | Anthony Davis | $58.46 million |
| 3 (tied) | Jayson Tatum | $58.46 million |
Curry’s lead over Jokic is $3.56 million. The three players tied at $58.46 million sit $4.13 million below Curry. Sporting News is a secondary report that attributes its figures to Spotrac, so this is not an NBA-issued list. Cap hits can change after trades, extensions or other roster moves, so check the date before citing the order.
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Three measures that get called “highest-paid”
Season cap hit
This is the measure used in the ranking above. It answers the question “which player’s contract counts most against the cap in a given season?” It says nothing about how much money a player will receive over the life of a deal, and it is not a measure of total income.
Total active contract value
Total contract value adds up the full value of an active contract across all of its years. Sporting News presents this separately, and in its active-contract comparison it lists Jayson Tatum first, with a five-year contract worth $313.93 million. That answers a different question from the cap-hit leaderboard. A player with the largest single-season cap hit does not have to hold the largest total contract, and the reverse is also true.
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All-in annual earnings
Annual earnings combine salary with endorsements, appearance fees and other off-court income. The sources reviewed do not establish a current, sufficiently sourced NBA-only leader under this definition, so no player can be named as the highest earner on that basis here. Do not treat the cap-hit leader as an earnings leader.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.League-wide numbers that give context
The NBA’s official announcement, dated June 30, 2026, set the 2026-27 salary cap at $164.961 million. The same announcement sets the 2026-27 tax level at $200.428 million. Those figures describe league rules, not individual pay. Curry’s $62.59 million cap hit is roughly 38 percent of the $164.961 million cap, which is a useful way to see how concentrated top salaries are, though the cap itself does not limit any one player’s salary.
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- The salary cap is the league-wide threshold used in team-building rules for 2026-27.
- The tax level is the threshold above which teams face the luxury tax.
- The NBA’s official 2026-27 Guide page was updated October 7, 2026, and is the league’s primary reference for season rules.
Checking the figure before you cite it
- Confirm the season. Write “2026-27” in the first sentence, because cap hits are set season by season.
- Confirm the measure. Say “cap hit” or “season salary,” not “total pay” or “career earnings.”
- Note the source and date. The leaderboard is a June 29, 2026 Sporting News report using Spotrac figures, not an NBA ranking.
- Recheck after any roster change. A trade, extension or new contract can move a player up or down the list.
- Keep endorsements separate. Off-court income is not part of any salary figure above.
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