In July last year, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics signed a five-year “supermax” contract extension, guaranteeing him $288 million. Reporting varies on the exact figure, with some putting it at $308 million when expected salary cap thresholds are raised. What isn’t in doubt, however, is that it was considered the single biggest contract in NBA history. A year later, though, his teammate, Jayson Tatum, eclipsed that with a five-year extension worth just shy of $315 million, giving him the current status as owner of the biggest contract in the league’s history.
Of course, it makes sense that the Boston Celtics tie up two of their franchise stars with these mammoth contracts. The Celtics are favorites to retain the NBA Championship this season, and Brown and Tatum, both of whom are the key pieces of the team, are listed prominently in the NBA odds for individual honors this season. As both are 26, the Celtics will also tie up two superstars in what is likely to be their prime years.
Yet, while it is common practice to sign up players to the biggest contracts at their peak, it’s also interesting to see the younger players on massive deals. That’s due to the fact there is more of an element of risk. The players may only be a year or two out of college, and while they may show great potential, their performance at the professional level is still largely unproven. It’s a calculated risk, but it is still a gamble.
But who are these youngsters on whom the future of the NBA will be built? Let’s look at the biggest earners aged 23 and under:
Note: The list looks at the total contract size and not on a per-annum basis
1. Anthony Edwards Minnesota Timberwolves: $244 million
Edwards has all the goods to become the face of the NBA in the coming years. He signed his megadeal with the Wolves two seasons ago at the age of 21, and he has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the league.
You get the sense that Minnesota will have to win something for everyone to be convinced Edwards is a ‘great’, but we shouldn’t rule that out.
2. Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic): $224 million
The German star is one of the key players in a hugely exciting and youthful Orland Magic team. He was already well thought of in his rookie season, but he kept increasing his numbers across each of the last two seasons. His big contract kicks in next year, and if he continues on his trajectory, it will feel like he is worth every penny.
3. Cade Cunnigham (Detroit Pistons): $224 million
At 23, Cunnigham is starting to show why he was the first overall draft pick in 2021. There’s a similar trajectory to Wagner, with Cunnigham simply improving season by season – game by game, at times – in his three years in the NBA.
4. Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors): $224 million
Aside from Edwards, Barnes has had the most meteoric rise on this list, being named Rookie of the Year in 2022 and earning All-Star honors last term.
The main concern he has is that he is a very good player – on his way to becoming a great one – on a very average team.
5. LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets): $203 million
Ball has had one of the strangest progressions of any young American star, playing his basketball as a teenager in Lithuania, the JBA (a youth league created by his father), and the Australian NBL before declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. He was Rookie of the Year during his first season with the Hornets, and he has continued his progression, earning that mega contract extension in July 2023.
6. Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets): $185 million
The youngest player on this list, Sengun was a star in Turkey before declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft at 19. He was picked up by Oklahoma City but traded to the Rockets for future picks. While his rookie season wasn’t anything to write home about, his numbers picked up over the 2022/23 season. Last year was his breakout season, earning him that huge contract, which he signed just days before the start of the 2024/25 NBA season.