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Jun
Player Salaries
Australia's BILLION dollar men's basketball players
Matthew Dellavedova #8 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 21, 2018 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
Australian men's basketballers are closing in on an extraordinary TWO BILLION DOLLARS in earnings
- Five Australian men's basketballers have earned more than $100 million AUD in their careers
- Josh Giddey is set to become Australia's next $100M man as he enters free agency in 2025
- Contract status of every Australian in the NBA in 2025
Thirty-five of the more than 40 Australian men's basketballers to have played in the NBA have earned more than $1.8 billion ($1.2B USD) during their careers.
Melbourne-born potential Australian Boomer Kyrie Irving tops the list at more than $466 million in his 13-year NBA career while fellow Victorian Ben Simmons comes in second with $305 million after signing a maximum deal with the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
The median salary for the 34 players is $3.1 million while the average, obviously heavily skewed by the top 10 earners, is $32 million.
A total of five players have earned more than $100 million AUD in their careers with Josh Giddey set to become the sixth as he enters restricted free agency with the Chicago Bulls ahead of the 2025-26 season. He's believed to be asking for $30 million per season over five years.
Undoubtedly, 2025 NBA Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels' next contract will be LARGE given the Bendigo-born superstar was also a finalist in the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award after setting a 21st century record with 229 steals.
Free agency starts soon after the 2025 NBA Draft later this month where several more Australians are set to become NBA players including Alex Toohey, Lachlan Olbrich, Rocco Zikarsky and Tyrese Proctor.
Australian players and their NBA Career Earnings
- Kyrie Irving: $466,702,757 ($311,135,171 USD)
- Ben Simmons: $305,035,034 ($203,356,689 USD)
- *Andrew Bogut: $175,839,320 ($117,226,213 USD)
- Joe Ingles: $131,818,971 ($87,879,314 USD)
- Patty Mills: $128,339,150 ($85,559,433 USD)
- Dante Exum: $76,137,258 ($50,758,172 USD)
- *Matt Dellavedova: $67,629,576 ($45,086,384 USD)
- *Luc Longley: $64,177,350 ($42,784,900 USD)
- *Aron Baynes: $56,609,265 ($37,739,510 USD)
- Matisse Thybulle: $51,057,191 ($34,038,127 USD)
- Josh Giddey: $40,822,210 ($27,214,807 USD)
- Josh Green: $39,438,510 ($26,292,340 USD)
- Dyson Daniels: $37,589,924 ($25,059,949 USD)
- Jock Landale: $27,887,655 ($18,591,770 USD)
- *Thon Maker: $17,562,562 ($11,708,375 USD)
- *David Andersen: $11,227,778 ($7,485,185 USD)
- *Jonah Bolden: $5,205,192 ($3,470,128 USD)
- *Chris Anstey: $4,219,230 ($2,812,820 USD)
- Duop Reath: $4,000,000 ($6,000,000 USD)
- *Ryan Broekhoff: $3,628,008 ($2,418,672 USD)
- *Cameron Bairstow: $3,296,181 ($2,197,454 USD)
- *Xavier Cooks: $2,790,372 ($1,860,248 USD)
- Johnny Furphy: $2,776,263 ($1,850,842 USD)
- *Deng Adel: $2,168,546 ($1,445,697 USD)
- *Nathan Jawai: $1,767,801 ($1,178,534 USD)
- *Andrew Gaze: $1,215,000 ($810,000 USD)
- *Shane Heal: $1,169,422 ($779,615 USD)
- *Jack White: $993,195 ($662,130 USD)
- *Darnell Mee: $600,000 ($400,000 USD)
- *Mark Bradtke: $371,250 ($247,500 USD)
- *Mitchell Creek: $227,380 ($151,587 USD)
- Alex Ducas: $154,491 ($102,994 USD)
- *Luke Schenscher: $82,500 ($55,000 USD)
- *Jack McVeigh: $77,246 ($51,497 USD)
- *Isaac Humphries: $71,056 ($47,371 USD)
* Retired or no longer in the NBA
As of the 2024 AFL season, the average salary for an AFL-listed player was approximately $459,173, up from $441,464 in 2023. For players who participated in at least one senior game, the average salary was higher, at $493,592. This upward trend in player salaries is part of a broader growth in the league's financial landscape. In 2023, a record 19 players earned more than $1 million, a significant increase from previous years. The AFL's salary cap has been adjusted accordingly, with clubs granted an extra $800,000 in 2024, raising the cap from $15 million to $15.8 million.
Richmond premiership full forward Tom Lynch was the highest paid AFL player in 2025, earning $1.45M.
Ben Simmons earned more than $40 million in his final year of his contract in 2024-25, more than three times the AFL's salary cap and about 30 times more than the highest paid AFL star.
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