NBA Today: 5 Highest paid players for the 2019-20 season

The 2019-20 NBA season is quickly approaching, and thanks to an ever-increasing salary cap, a number of the league's top stars will once again be among the highest-paid athletes in the world. The salary cap is set at $109.14 million for the forthcoming season, and thanks to supermax contracts, several players will earn well over one-third of their team's cap space.

Historically the NBA's best players have earned the highest salaries, although players are now increasingly rewarded for both loyalty and longevity in the NBA. This means that several huge names miss out on a place on the list of highest-paid players, and there are also plenty of changes from last season. So, with the 2019-20 campaign just weeks away, here we will take a look at the five players set to earn the most money.

#5 John Wall - $38,199,000

John Wall is among the NBA's highest earners despite the fact he is unlikely to play this season

John Wall is set to miss the entire 2019-20 NBA season through injury, although the point guard will still command the league's joint fifth biggest payday of the season. Wall signed a four-year, $170 million contract extension with the Wizards back in 2017, and the upcoming season marks the first season that the deal will come into effect.

During the 18-19 season, Wall was on course to make a sixth consecutive All-Star appearance, although the 29-year-old was ruled out for the season just two weeks after recording a monstrous 40 points and 14 assists against the Lakers. Wall's woes are also far from over after he suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon after falling at his home, and the North Carolina native is unlikely to feature at all during the new season.

#4 James Harden - $38,199,000

James Harden has established himself as one of the NBA's best players during his seven years with the Houston Rockets

Following his trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets in 2012, James Harden has established himself as one of the best guards of his generation. The 30-year-old has never failed to average less than 25 points per game during his seven seasons in Houston, and Harden has surpassed 30 points in each of the last two seasons.

Harden's influence on the team was enough for the Rockets to sign him to a four-year contract extension worth $160 million back in 2017, and the shooting guard will this season earn just over $38 million. The 2018 MVP is also on track to break into the NBA's top three earners by the time the final year of his deal comes into effect in 2022.

#3 Chris Paul - $38,506,482

Chris Paul was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder following an underwhelming second season with the Rockets

Back in the summer of 2017, Chris Paul was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets on an expiring deal. CP3 made an immediate impact in Houston, and following a successful season where the Rockets came within one game of the NBA Finals, Houston decided to go all-in on the veteran by signing him to a new four-year, $160 million maximum contract.

However, Paul's performances in his second season were notably worse, and the point guard was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this summer. With the Thunder unlikely to be in contention for a playoff spot, there have been rumors of a buyout, although Paul would be foolish to give up any money on a contract that will net him more than $38 million this season alone.

#2 Russell Westbrook - $38,506,482

Russell Westbrook had spent his entire career with the Thunder prior to his trade to the Rockets

Russell Westbrook continues to divide opinion among NBA fans, although the dynamic point guard has now averaged a triple-double in each of the past three seasons. Nevertheless, Westbrook's phenomenal personal achievement wasn't enough to put the Thunder into contention, and the 2017 MVP was traded to the Rockets earlier this summer.

Still, Westbrook will take his mammoth deal from Oklahoma City to Houston, and the 30-year-old will earn just over $35.5 million for the upcoming season. It is the second year of the five-year, $205 million extension that Westbrook signed with the Thunder following his MVP season back in 2017, and his annual salary will continue to climb by an additional $3 million over the next three years.

Evidently, the Rockets made a huge commitment by taking on Westbrook's deal, although a first NBA title will make it all worth it.

#1 Stephen Curry - $40,231,758

Steph Curry leads the NBA for a third straight season

Thanks to the fact that he has spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors, the 2019-20 season will mark the third consecutive season that Stephen Curry will be the NBA's highest earner. The two-time MVP is entering season three of the five-year supermax deal worth $201 million that he signed back in 2017, and the 31-year-old is the only player in the NBA that will earn upwards of $40 million for the upcoming season.

Nevertheless, Curry will be made to work for his money as the Warriors will be without the injured Klay Thompson for much of the season, while the influential trio of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston all left the team over the summer. Curry's usage rates will be at an all-time high, and the NBA's highest-paid player is likely to be in the MVP discussion in April.