Ranking the 5 active NBA players with the highest net worth

Basketball players from all over the world dream about playing in the NBA for two reasons. It is the best and arguably the most talented league in the world, and being a star in the NBA often means signing multi-million dollar contracts with teams, on top of potential endorsements and deals with shoe brands.

Currently, basketball is the highest paying sport in the world, even though it is not the most popular one. Basketball, mainly the NBA, possesses the potential for very high valued endorsements, and the popularity of their biggest stars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry allows for companies to easily market their brand through these athletes. This opens up avenues for players to promote their own brands through signature shoes – for example the Air Jordans or the recently announced LeBron 17 – while still in the league.

Due to this, some NBA players have accumulated a lot of wealth during their time in the league. These are the five active players with the highest net worth.

#5 Dwight Howard - $140 million

Dwight Howard has had a rocky career thus far. His 15 seasons have been filled with ups and downs and many have questioned his ability to play in the NBA. This, however, has not stopped him from building his net worth to $140 million.

Howard started his career when he was picked first in the 2004 draft by the Orlando Magic. Coming straight out of high school, he had immense potential and the Magic were willing to go all-in on him, paying him $4,179,720 in his first year alone. This proved to pay off as Howard stayed with the Magic till 2012 while winning the Defensive Player of the Year award 3 times, after which he joined the Los Angeles Lakers.

While with the Lakers, Howard's focus and effort were brought into question, which led to him leaving after 1 year and bouncing across 6 teams in 6 years. Howard has now rejoined the Lakers for the 2019-20 season and has the opportunity to redeem himself, and if he is able to do so in a big name market like LA, his net worth is likely to increase.

#4 Russell Westbrook - $150 million

Russell Westbrook is one of the best players in the NBA right now and he has proven so multiple times, no matter who doubts him. He has led the league in scoring twice, has been named to the All-Star team eight times and even has an MVP award under his belt. This paired with his hustle and competitive mentality have landed him large contracts and endorsements.

In 2017, Westbrook signed a 5-year $205 million extension through till 2023 with the OKC Thunder, the largest ever at the time. In the 2019-20 season, Westbrook is set to earn a whopping $38,178,000 from this contract alone.

The Jordan Brand, in 2017, signed Westbrook to what was called the "largest contract" in Jordan history. Westbrook had already signed with Jordan but he signed a 10-year extension, which also includes a fashion line, that was reportedly worth up to $200 million. This all amounts to a $150 million net worth for Westbrook, and we can expect no less from someone who has averaged a triple-double for each of the last three seasons.

#3 James Harden - $165 million

James Harden is currently regarded as the best shooting guard in the NBA. Drafted third by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009, he quickly became known as an elite scorer and was the sixth man on the team. Though he was coming off the bench, Harden could play at a superstar level and he came into his own when he was traded to the Houston Rockets.

Harden immediately became the leader and face of the franchise and people around the league took notice. Harden had signed with Nike, but in 2015, he left Nike to join Adidas with a massive $200 million deal over 13 years. Shortly after, in 2017, Harden signed a 4-year $160 million extension with the Rockets, setting his overall contract at $228 million for 6 years.

Between his salary and his various endorsements, Harden's net worth is currently $165 million, and we can expect this to increase if he is able to continue to perform at his usual MVP level.

#2 Kevin Durant - $170 million

Kevin Durant has been in the conversation as the best player in the NBA for the last few years. He has proven himself to be one of the best scorers in the history of the game and is capable of leading teams to championships. So it is understandable that Durant earns a lot of money for what he does, and has a current net worth of $170 million.

After winning 2 NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors, Durant and the Warriors agreed to a 4-year sign and trade deal worth $164,255,700 and he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. This contract has Durant earning $37,199,000 in the 2019-20 season alone.

On top of this, Durant has endorsements with several brands such as Nike and Gatorade which brings him about $36 million per year. He is also the owner of small stakes in several companies.

If Durant can recover from his Achilles injury and come back even better, then we can expect his net worth of $170 million to only go up from here.

#1 LeBron James - $480 million

LeBron James is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and if you have watched the NBA for the better half of this decade, you have seen why. James is an absolutely dominant force on the basketball court and not many have been able to accomplish all that he has.

Coming out of high school, LeBron James was the first pick in the 2003 draft and went to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He immediately signed a deal with Nike at the age of 18 that paid him $90 million over seven years, which gave him $12.8 million per year. His current deal with Nike has him bringing in $20 million per year.

In addition to this, James has several endorsements with large brands such as McDonald's, KIA Motors, Beats by Dre, and Coca-Cola. He currently earns about $55 million from his endorsements alone and is all set to earn $37,436,858 from his contract with the Lakers in the 2019-20 season.

Having been the face of basketball for the last decade, and backing it up with his play on the court, LeBron has amassed a huge net worth of $480 million, and it looks like he will remain on top of this list until he retires from basketball.