Not LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, or Giannis Antetokounmpo. It is Jaylen Brown who has just signed the heftiest contract in NBA history. He signed a five-year $304 million Supermax deal with the Boston Celtics. Beginning from around $52 million in the first year, the Guard’s dreamy contract promises a pay of over $60 million in the third season. 

As the NBA max contracts hit further boost, Michael Jordan and LeBron James stand to witness more NBA billionaires in their lifetimes.

Will Jaylen Brown ever get close to Jordan and James? 

As per Forbes, Jordan has amassed over $2 billion. In 2023, Forbes listed Jordan as #1516 on the Billionaire list. A majority of MJ’s wealth has stemmed from Nike’s Jordan shoe and apparel line, supported by his investments. His biggest investment being the majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets. The recent sale is set to help him expand his wealth further. However, if we come to their salaries, Brown’s five-year contract in the second year alone surpasses the salary-based earnings of MJ throughout his NBA career.

But what separates the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year from these athletes is the low percentage of his net worth being shaped by salaries.

This is the same MJ who nabbed the highest-paid contract before the 1997-1998 season. His one-year $33.1 million contract was a record that lasted until the 2016-17 season. In the 2017-18 window, Stephen Curry signed a contract that surpassed His Airness’ numerical value during 1998.

The current salary structure of the NBA coupled with mouth-watering endorsement deals, will pave the way for wealthier NBA stars. In fact, LeBron James recently became the first active player to become a billionaire.

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But Jordan’s 97-98 contract tells a fascinating tale if we pitch it in current times.

MJ’s historic 1997-98 contract stands the test of time

The thing is, Jordan earned most of the team’s salary cap in 1998. If we adjust for inflation, how much is $33.1 million in 2023? The estimate stands at around $62 million dollar in today’s economy. With that in mind, Jaylen Brown still has some time to go. 

It will take JB till the 2027-28 season to reach that mark in terms of his salary for a single year.

However, before that, superstars that are eligible for a max payout are going to get a deal that crosses the $60 million mark in a season. The San Antonio Spurs are already thinking of offering first-year Victor Wembanyama a deal that goes past $80 million a year when he is eligible after his rookie contract.

The Spurs player is yet to play an NBA Regular Season game and can potentially command that much salary. The future of SuperMax contracts is heading closer and closer to $100 million. Do you think we will ever see a contract cross the value of $1 billion?

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