The NBA’s economic landscape has undergone a radical transformation over the past decade. Driven by massive media rights deals and a rising salary cap, the earnings of the league’s elite—those selected for the All-Star Game—have skyrocketed. An analysis of the “All-Star Economy” from 2016 to 2026 reveals a consistent year-over-year increase in player compensation, effectively tripling the average star’s salary in just ten seasons.
1. The Steady Ascent: Average Allstar Salary by Year
Since 2016, the average salary of an NBA All-Star has increased every single season. This trend reflects the league’s growing revenue, which is directly tied to the Salary Cap ($154.6M for the 2025-26 season). While an All-Star in 2016 earned an average of $15.5 million, that figure has surged to over $46 million for the 2026 season.
| Season | Avg. Allstar Salary | Salary Leader (Allstar) | Annual Salary |
| 2015-16 | $15.5 Million | Kobe Bryant | $25.0 Million |
| 2016-17 | $18.9 Million | LeBron James | $30.9 Million |
| 2017-18 | $21.5 Million | Stephen Curry | $34.6 Million |
| 2018-19 | $23.7 Million | Stephen Curry | $37.4 Million |
| 2019-20 | $27.6 Million | Stephen Curry | $40.2 Million |
| 2020-21 | $29.2 Million | Stephen Curry | $43.0 Million |
| 2021-22 | $31.4 Million | Stephen Curry | $45.7 Million |
| 2022-23 | $33.9 Million | Stephen Curry | $48.0 Million |
| 2023-24 | $40.1 Million | Stephen Curry | $51.9 Million |
| 2024-25 | $44.8 Million | Stephen Curry | $55.7 Million |
| 2025-26 | $46.7 Million | Stephen Curry | $59.6 Million |
2. The 2026 Milestone: A Billion-Dollar Roster
The 2025-26 season represents a historic peak for All-Star compensation. With the 2026 All-Star Game held in Los Angeles, the combined salary of the participants has reached an estimated $1.26 billion.
- The $60M Threshold: Stephen Curry remains the financial benchmark, earning $59.6 million this season, nearly 2.4 times higher than the league’s top earner in 2016.
- The “Max Extension” Surge: The average was significantly bolstered this year as “Supermax” and “Rookie Max” extensions for stars like Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes kicked in, with starting salaries exceeding $46 million.
- Global Impact: International stars, including Turkey’s Alperen Åžengün (earning $33.9M in the first year of his new $185M extension), have now fully integrated into this elite financial bracket.
3. Key Drivers of the Ten-Year Inflation
The 201% increase in average All-Star pay since 2016 is the result of structural changes within the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA):
- Salary Cap Spikes: The 2016-17 cap spike set a new floor, and subsequent annual increases (capped at 10% to avoid sudden jumps) have ensured that “Maximum Contract” values rise every July.
- Supermax Eligibility: The introduction of the Designated Player Veteran Contract allowed elite stars to claim up to 35% of a team’s total salary cap.
- Escalating Rookie Scales: Even younger All-Stars on their early contracts are earning significantly more due to the proportional rise in rookie scale pay.
Conclusion: In 2016, Kobe Bryant’s $25 million salary was a league outlier; in 2026, that same amount would rank near the bottom of an All-Star roster. If current revenue projections hold, the NBA is on pace to see its first $80 million-per-season player by the turn of the decade.