Ranking: The highest-paid players in Golden State Warriors history
The Warriors have recently been one of the league’s consistently highest spenders. They’ve been in the luxury tax in six of the last eight seasons, and are set to have a record-breaking $400 million roster for this upcoming season. It goes without saying that most of the highest-paid Warriors of all time are contemporary players.
Here is a list of the 12 highest-paid Warriors.
Stephen Curry: $305,929,066
Stephen Curry is not only the highest-paid Warrior of all time, but he will likely have the most career earnings in NBA history by the time he retires. That is wild to think about considering he was earning far below the maximum salary in his first eight seasons. He will have earned just over $425 million by the time his current contract expires at age 38. With the way his game continues to age and the cap continues to rise, there could be room for him to eclipse $500 million in career earnings when it’s all said and done.
Money per game: $297,307
Highest Warrior salary: $48,070,014 in 2022-23 (No. 1 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 24.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.5 apg, 47.5 FG% in 14 seasons
More on Stephen Curry’s earnings
Klay Thompson: $226,333,321
The Warriors have always held a stronger belief in Klay Thompson than the rest of the league. They refused to part with him early in his career when Kevin Love became available for trade. They extended him shortly after on a maximum deal at a time when it was debatable if he was a no-brainer max player. Their belief in him paid off in multiple championships as he often exceeded the value of that contract. Thompson is currently extension-eligible, and it seems like a strong possibility that they give him a new deal that aligns him with Curry and Draymond Green.
Money per game: $258,962
Highest Warrior salary: $40,600,080 in 2022-23 (No. 11 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 19.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 45.5 FG% in 10 seasons
More on Klay Thompson’s earnings
Draymond Green: $156,720,879
When we look back at the Warriors post-Kevin Durant and how they managed to strive in their second phase, Draymond Green may be the most underappreciated part. He prides himself with doing the little things on offense such as his screen setting and floor spacing, which helps Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have so much success. He also sacrificed the most to help keep the Warriors continue. While Curry and Thompson are earning maximum salaries, Green may have left money on the table by agreeing to his maximum extension amount with the Warriors in 2019 instead of hitting 2020 free agency. He will still have made off nicely with over $230 million in career earnings by the time his new contract expires.
Money per game: $171,279
Highest Warrior salary: $25,806,468 in 2022-23 (No. 53 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 8.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.6 apg, 44.9 FG% in 11 seasons
More on Draymond Green’s earnings
Andrew Wiggins: $122,242,800
Andrew Wiggins has only been a Warriors for three and a half seasons and he’s already their fourth highest-paid player in franchise history. That’s because they acquired him while he was on a maximum contract he had recently signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. What was once viewed as one of the most toxic deals in the league became one of the biggest bargains upon reinventing himself in Golden State. He too may have left a significant amount of money on the table by extending with the Warriors on a team-friendly deal last season on the heels of an impressive Finals performance.
Money per game: $536,152
Highest Warrior salary: $33,616,770 in 2022-23 (No. 29 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 17.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 47.1 FG% in four seasons
More on Andrew Wiggins’ earnings
Andre Iguodala: $84,362,357
While Andre Iguodala didn’t leave any money on the table in his prime years with the Warriors, he sacrificed the most on the court. He came off the bench and had a small usage that was required to help the Warriors succeed even though he would’ve started and had the ball a lot more on most other teams. Had Kevin Durant re-signed with the Warriors in 2019, they probably wouldn’t have traded Iguodala, meaning he likely would’ve eclipsed $100 million in earnings with them.
Money per game: $149,844
Highest Warrior salary: $16,000,000 in 2018-19 (No. 71 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 6.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 48.0 FG% in eight seasons
More on Andre Iguodala’s earnings
Kevin Durant: $81,540,100
Kevin Durant only played three seasons with the Warriors and is already the sixth highest-paid player in franchise history. They got in a position to secure him on a maximum salary thanks to the infamous salary cap spike of 2016. He actually left a good amount of money on the table in his second and third years with the Warriors when he surprisingly took a pay cut. He did so to give them enough luxury tax relief to make using the mid-level exception more tenable.
Money per game: $318,516
Highest Warrior salary: $30,000,000 in 2018-19 (No. 11 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 25.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 5.4 apg, 52.4 FG% in three seasons
More on Kevin Durant’s earnings
David Lee: $64,044,000
David Lee was acquired in a sign-and-trade in 2010 as new ownership aimed to build a competitive product instantly. They didn’t have immediate success but Lee was there when they first made the playoffs in 2013. An injury prior to the 2014-15 season derailed him and ultimately his career as a Warrior when his absence allowed them to discover magic with Draymond Green. Lee may not be remembered for his time with Golden State, but he was part of the bridge between the Warriors of old and the Warriors as we know them now.
Money per game: $181,427
Highest Warrior salary: $15,012,000 in 2014-15 (No. 22 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 16.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 51.3 FG% in five seasons
Adonal Foyle: $59,573,520
Adonal Foyle played with tons of Warriors cult favorites from the early 2000s such as Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Gilbert Arenas, Troy Murphy, and Antawn Jamison. He also was also a part of the 2007 Warriors team featuring Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Andris Biedrins, and Monta Ellis that famously upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. Foyle remained with the team the longest among that revolving door of popular players, putting him pretty high on this list.
Money per game: $92,505
Highest Warrior salary: $8,937,500 in 2007-08 (No. 70 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 4.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 47.7 FG% in 10 seasons
More on Adonal Foyle’s earnings
Andris Biedrins: $53,208,776
Andris Biedrins spent nine seasons with the Warriors, which feels surprising since he dropped off significantly in his last three. He became a high-efficiency finisher and a rebounding machine in his best years in Golden State, which earned him a six-year, $54 million deal. He could not live up to the contract and the Warriors tried to move forward with other big men such as David Lee, Ekpe Udoh, and DeAndre Jordan, the latter whom they signed to an offer sheet that the Clippers quickly matched. Once they found their answer at center in Andrew Bogut, they traded multiple first-round picks to move off Biedrins and Richard Jefferson to generate cap space to sign Andre Iguodala.
Money per game: $101,543
Highest Warrior salary: $9,000,000 in 2008-09 (No. 79 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 6.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 59.4 FG% in nine seasons
More on Andris Biedrins’ earnings
Andrew Bogut: $52,809,865
The acquisition of Andrew Bogut was polarizing when it happened. Not just because the Warriors acquired him while he was out for the season with an injury, but also since it required them to part ways with fan favorite Monta Ellis. In retrospect, that trade may be one of the most important ones in franchise history since it could be considered the demarcation of when everything started to change. Once they got Bogut, the Warriors started climbing out of the wilderness and slowly became competitive and respectable. His time in Golden State was cut short when they traded him to generate cap space to sign Kevin Durant, but he was paid well in his five seasons there.
Money per game: $165,548
Highest Warrior salary: $14,200,000 in 2013-14 (No. 31 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 6.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 57.9 FG% in five seasons
More on Andrew Bogut’s earnings
Baron Davis: $49,420,243
The Warriors acquired Baron Davis during the 2005 trade deadline in what was essentially a salary dump by the New Orleans Hornets. He was coming off his second All-Star appearance and continued to elevate his game upon arriving at Golden State. Davis didn’t stay a Warrior for very long, but he was responsible for leading the team to their most exciting season in a long time. He earned just under $50 million in his three and a half seasons with the team.
Money per game: $207,648
Highest Warrior salary: $16,440,000 in 2007-08 (No. 13 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 20.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 8.1 apg, 41.8 FG% in four seasons
Monta Ellis: $41,383,581
Monta Ellis was one of the better second-round draft steals of the 2000s with his ability to score at a high rate. He was one of few players who were part of the 2007 Warriors team that stuck around long enough to be teammates with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. He was the best thing going for the Warriors in those years after 2007 and before Curry and Thompson developed into the players they eventually became. In Ellis’ seven years as a Warrior, he only made more than the veteran minimum in four of them.
Money per game: $97,602
Highest Warrior salary: $11,000,000 in 2008-09 (No. 52 in the NBA that season)
Warriors stats: 19.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.4 apg, 46.5 FG% in seven seasons
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