Why a lot of NBA players are about to start making salaries previously unheard of in sports

During the 2016-17 season, LeBron James was the only player in the NBA with a salary of $30 million or more. Not only is the number of players making $30 million about to grow, but a bunch of players are soon going to sign contracts that will include salaries nearing $50 million.

Take Stephen Curry. This past season he made $12.1 million, a salary smaller than 81 other players. But Curry’s bargain contract is now up and under the new collective bargaining agreement, he is eligible for a contract worth approximately $203 million over five years. While his salary would be close to $35 million in the first season, it would gradually increase and reach approximately $47 million in Year 5.

This new world order of NBA contracts is due to the skyrocketing NBA salary cap. Thanks to big bumps in television revenue, the cap has more than doubled in 12 years and jumped nearly 30% just in the last two seasons, to a projected $99 million next season.

Diana Yukari/Business Insider