You watch Steph Curry drain three-pointers on TNT, and somewhere in the back of your mind a question forms: those massive contracts—how do they actually reach the player’s bank account? Most people picture movie-style briefcases or weekly envelopes. The reality is much more interesting. Players like Josh Giddey have actually explained how it works, and once you see the mechanics, you’ll never look at an NBA paycheck the same way.

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Payment Options: 6 or 12 months · Most Common Schedule: 12 months, bi-weekly · Top Bi-Weekly Paycheck Example: Stephen Curry’s massive checks

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Bi-weekly over 12 months most common (Basketnews)
  • 24 installments per year total (AS USA)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact payment dates vary per player contract
  • Per-second earnings calculations fluctuate wildly
3Timeline signal
  • NBA fiscal year runs November 1 – October 31 (AS USA)
4What’s next
  • Current CBA runs through 2029-30 season (Wikipedia)

Five categories of salary data, each with a concrete pattern: most distributions cluster around bi-weekly intervals across the fiscal calendar.

Metric Value
Standard Frequency Every two weeks
Installments Per Year 24
Months Covered 6 or 12
Offseason Pay Yes, year-round
Injury Protection Fully paid
Method Direct deposit

Do NBA Players Get Paid Weekly?

No. NBA players receive direct deposit payments every two weeks, not weekly. According to AS USA, which covers NBA finance extensively, players are paid in 24 installments throughout the 12 months of the year. That works out to roughly twice per month, coinciding with the NBA’s bi-weekly pay structure.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey broke down the payment options in a social media discussion that went viral: players can choose to receive their annual salary over either 6 or 12 months, and most opt for the 12-month distribution to get paid year-round every two weeks. Basketnews documented Giddey’s explanation of this choice.

Weekly vs bi-weekly reality

Choosing weekly payments would mean 52 deposits annually, which the NBA does not offer. The league’s standard operates on a bi-weekly rhythm that aligns with professional sports conventions.

The catch

Players who select the 6-month option receive larger individual payments but face a months-long gap before the next season’s checks begin.

Player negotiation options

Beyond the 6 vs. 12 month choice, players can negotiate specific payment dates with their teams, though the bi-weekly interval remains constant.

How Many Weeks Do NBA Players Get Paid?

Players who choose the 12-month plan receive 26 bi-weekly payments per year. However, because the NBA fiscal year runs from November 1 to October 31, the actual pay periods distribute across approximately 52 calendar weeks with payments every 14 days.

Anthony Davis has explained how these mechanics work in practice, walking through the rhythm of receiving deposits consistently throughout the season and offseason alike.

6-month vs. 12-month plans

The 6-month option concentrates payments into the regular season window, typically running from November through April. Players on rookie contracts or those with external income sources sometimes prefer this structure.

Offseason payment details

For the 12-month cohort, offseason months (May through October) continue producing bi-weekly deposits. This matters enormously for players managing cash flow between seasons—a point Giddey emphasized in his explanation of why most veterans choose this route.

How Much Do NBA Players Earn Per Week?

Earnings vary dramatically by contract size, but the math is straightforward: annual salary divided by 26 pay periods for those on the 12-month schedule. A player earning the league minimum of $925,000 (2020-21 season figure) takes home $38,541 every two weeks before taxes, as reported by AS USA.

Bi-weekly paycheck averages

Mid-tier players earning $10 million annually receive roughly $384,615 per bi-weekly deposit. Entry-level players on minimum deals see the $38,541 figure mentioned above. The range spans hundreds of thousands per installment.

Top earners like Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry tops the charts with $43 million in the 2020-21 season. That breaks down to approximately $1.7 million deposited twice monthly, per AS USA. Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul each earned roughly $41 million that season, placing them just behind Curry in the compensation hierarchy.

LeBron James earned just under $40 million in 2020-21, falling out of the top five earners that year despite being one of the league’s most recognizable players.

Why this matters

The gap between Curry’s $1.7 million bi-weekly checks and a rookie’s $38,541 payments illustrates the extreme gradient in NBA compensation—roughly 44 times more per deposit.

Do NBA Players Get Paid Daily?

No daily payment standard exists in the NBA. Players earn fixed annual salaries negotiated in their contracts, not per-game or per-day rates. This distinction matters when comparing NBA compensation to other sports or industries.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN explained how season length affects total pay: if the 2020-21 season started in mid-January instead of December, there might be only 50 games per team instead of 72, potentially costing NBA players more than $500 million in total salaries across all 450 players. LeBron James’ salary would drop from $39 million to $34 million if the season had 72 games instead of the planned schedule, and could fall to $24 million if only 50 games were played.

No daily pay standard

Daily calculations only become relevant when breaking down annual salaries for comparison purposes. A player earning $40 million plays roughly 82 regular season games annually—roughly $487,800 per game—though this framing rarely appears in official contracts.

Per game myths debunked

The “per game” framing often surfaces in media coverage discussing game checks or single-appearance earnings. In reality, these figures derive from annual salary divided by games played, not actual per-game contracts. Guaranteed contract clauses ensure players receive their full salary regardless of games played.

When Do NBA Players Get Paid?

Specific payment dates align with the NBA’s fiscal calendar, which runs November 1 through October 31. According to AS USA, the fiscal year actually ends on Halloween (October 31), creating a distinctive annual cycle.

The most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified by players on April 26, 2023, and took effect July 1, 2023, running through the 2029-30 season. This agreement governs payment structures and ensures players receive their guaranteed compensation regardless of performance.

Payment dates explained

Bi-weekly deposits typically occur on established dates agreed upon in individual contracts. During the regular season (October through April), these deposits continue reliably. The offseason months (May through October) see continued payments for players on 12-month schedules.

Injury and offseason impacts

Guaranteed contracts mean players receive full payment even when injured. The CBA ensures compensation continues through injury recovery periods, protecting player income during rehabilitation.

The upshot

Injury guarantees mean NBA players never face the income disruption that affects workers in most other industries—their bi-weekly deposits continue regardless of health status.

Most NBA players choose 12-month payment distribution to get paid year-round every two weeks.

— Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder guard

The NBA league minimum salary was raised to $925,000 in the 2020-21 season.

— AS USA (NBA finance coverage)

The NBA’s payment structure reflects the league’s position as one of professional sports’ most sophisticated compensation systems. The 90% salary floor requirement means teams must spend at least $111.290 million of the $123.655 million salary cap each season, ensuring player revenue share from Basketball Related Income flows consistently throughout the year.

From 2005 through the 2016 Collective Bargaining Agreement, player revenue share shifted from 57% down to approximately 49-51% of league income. The 2016 CBA was approved by both the NBA and NBA Players Association in December 2016, starting with the 2017-18 season and running through 2023-24 before the new agreement took effect.

Related reading: Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors player stats · Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers player stats

Additional sources

youtube.com, en.wikipedia.org, youtube.com

Top earners like Stephen Curry, cashing record $59.6 million salaries for 2025-26 as detailed highest-paid NBA player rankings, still receive payments bi-weekly over 12 months.

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Frequently asked questions

How much do NBA players get paid per game?

NBA players receive fixed annual salaries divided by their number of pay periods, not per-game payments. A $40 million player earns roughly $487,800 per game across an 82-game season, but this figure is calculated after the fact for media comparison. Contracts are not structured as per-game agreements.

How much do NBA players make a year?

Annual salaries range from the league minimum of $925,000 (2020-21 season) to maximum supermax contracts exceeding $60 million annually. Top earners like Stephen Curry command $43 million or more per season. The NBA salary cap for 2022-23 was $123.655 million.

What’s the lowest NBA salary?

The league minimum for the 2020-21 season was $925,000 annually, which translates to $38,541 every two weeks before taxes. Minimum salary scales increase with years of NBA service, reaching approximately $2.6 million for players with 10+ seasons on max contracts.

Do NBA players get paid per second?

No official per-second payment structure exists. However, calculating per-second rates creates striking figures: a $40 million annual salary divided by 31,536,000 seconds in a year yields approximately $1.27 per second. These calculations appear in media features but don’t reflect actual payment structures.

How much do NBA waterboys get paid?

NBA waterboy salaries reportedly range from $65,000 to $100,000 annually depending on the team and market, substantially higher than most entry-level sports support positions. Full-time equipment managers and assistant trainers earn significantly more.

Do NBA players get paid when injured?

Yes. Guaranteed contract provisions ensure NBA players receive full compensation during injury recovery periods. This protection distinguishes NBA contracts from many professional sports agreements and reflects the NBA Players Association’s negotiating strength.

How much do NBA players get paid per month?

For players on 12-month distribution plans, monthly gross income varies: minimum salary players receive approximately $77,083 monthly ($925,000 ÷ 12), while Stephen Curry’s $43 million annual salary yields roughly $3.58 million monthly before taxes and deductions.