Who Will Be the First $100M NBA Player?

It was considered a notable milestone for the NBA when Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell became the first players to earn at least $100,000 during a single season in 1965. However, this amount translates to a shade over $1,000,000 in today’s money after adjusting for inflation, which would essentially be at the bottom of the barrel for contracts this season. 

Why did these NBA legends earn a fraction of what stars currently make? The league has grown tremendously since the days of Chamberlain and Russell, driven by massive media rights deals, the introduction of international markets, social media, and an increased appetite for professional basketball. 

Revenue, and subsequently the salary cap, will continue to rise at healthy rates, especially given the upcoming national TV rights deal. Max contracts are tied to percentages of the salary cap rather than a fixed monetary value, so an increase in revenue directly leads to larger max contracts. 

Stephen Curry has the highest salary this season (2026) at $59,606,817, but a superstar crossing the $100,000,000 barrier is on the horizon. Which player could be the first to break this barrier? 

Highest-Paid NBA Players

Before diving into the intricacies of max contracts and potential candidates, the following table provides context on how salaries have ballooned over the last decade. 

Top contracts were relatively stable this century until the infamous salary-cap spike during the 2016 offseason, which allowed Golden State to sign Kevin Durant in free agency. Salaries have exploded since this spike because max contracts are tied to revenue. 

Structure of NBA Max Contracts

How many seasons a player has completed determines the max percentage of the first season of his max contract. It’s worth noting that the Designated Veteran Contract allows certain players to sign at 35% before reaching 10 years of service. In order to accomplish this feat, players must meet at least one of the following three criteria. 

• Won MVP in any of the three most recent seasons
• Won Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season or in two of the three most recent seasons
• Earned All-NBA honors in the most recent season or in two of the three most recent seasons

Next, they cannot have been traded at any time beyond their fourth season in the NBA or signed with a different team in free agency. 

Finally, players are then eligible to sign a Designated Veteran Contract extension if they have completed seven or eight seasons and have one or two years remaining on their contract. Otherwise, they can sign a Designated Veteran Contract during free agency with their former team if they have eight or nine years of experience. 

NBA Superstars on Pace for $100 Million Per Season

The first player to break the $100,000,000 threshold will be a veteran on a max contract beginning at 35% who either qualified via the Designated Veteran Contract provision or reached 10 years of service. It’s important to note that these contracts start at 35% in the first season but can reach 37-38% in the final years of the contract. 

Assuming the league leader earns 37%, the salary cap would need to be set at $270,270,271 in order for him to earn $100,000,000. When will the cap meet this figure? 

The 2027 salary cap is projected to be $165,000,000 according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, and the max it can grow is about 10% per season. If the cap increases by 10% per season, then it would reach the threshold in the 2032 season. However, a more realistic increase of 8% per season means the cap would reach the threshold in the 2034 season. 

Therefore, which players project to earn 37% of the salary cap between 2032 and 2034? They must have around 10 to 11 years of experience and be superstars with impressive accolades. 

Anthony Edwards

Edwards is an explosive above-the-rim scorer who knocks down triples at a 40% clip and has a budding midrange game. Defenses are running out of viable options as Edwards adds more tools to his belt and becomes more consistent. The 24-year-old is averaging 29.7 points per game this season, and he will likely make an All-NBA team for the third time of his young career. Factor in his elite on-ball defense, and Edwards will perennially compete for the title of best shooting guard in the NBA. He reaches 10 years of experience after the 2030 season, so the former first overall pick should be around 37% of the cap in the 2031 or 2032 season. Minnesota’s superstar arguably has the best chance to be the first $100,000,000 player. 

Tyrese Maxey

Maxey is another impressive scorer from the 2020 NBA Draft. He’s one of the fastest players in the league, which makes him extremely difficult to contain at the point of attack. The 25-year-old is averaging 29 points per game this season while shooting 37.3% from beyond the arc. Maxey also sets up shots for his teammates at a high level and currently leads the NBA in minutes per game. He notches 10 years of experience after the 2030 season, which makes 2031 or 2032 a realistic target date for him to earn 37% of the cap. Maxey does not have MVP equity like Edwards, but All-NBA is definitely in his grasp. 

Cade Cunningham

The Pistons’ superstar is averaging 24.7 points and 10.1 assists per game while playing excellent defense. He’s not getting a ton of support from the rest of his team either. The 24-year-old is deservedly receiving MVP buzz for restoring the Pistons to championship contention. He reaches 10 years of experience after the 2031 season, so he likely earns 37% of the cap in the 2032 or 2033 season. It’s difficult to envision Cunningham failing to qualify through MVP or All-NBA because of his all-around impact on the court and ability to raise Detroit’s offensive floor by a significant margin. 

Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama remains on track to be the best defensive player in league history. His combination of size and mobility warps the court and forces opposing offenses to often abandon shots at the rim. He’s also averaging 24.3 points per game and can score from anywhere on the court. A player his size should not be able to handle the basketball and shoot three-point jumpers as fluidly as Wembanyama. Plus, he chips in 11.2 rebounds per game. The 22-year-old will likely qualify for the Designated Veteran Contract provision via MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA, given his talent. He also has 10 years of experience after the 2033 season, so he could reach 37% in 2034 or 2035. 

Veteran Candidates

Finally, veterans like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, and Jayson Tatum, who have already signed massive extensions, are also main candidates during their next contracts. Teams will probably pay them max contracts even if they deal with injuries or slightly regress in their early to mid 30s. 

Overall, the NBA has come a long way over the past 30 years in terms of max salaries. Look for the first player to break the $100,000,000 barrier between the 2032 and 2034 seasons, and likely have been selected from an NBA Draft between 2018 and 2021.