The NBA’s global prominence makes it valued at $50 billion, with about one billion regular viewers worldwide.
Players and coaches have been earning higher and higher salaries as the league has grown, but top general managers have also seen major increases in their compensation in recent years.
Highly valued GMs can rake in salaries that rival some NBA players.
Tied for first are two Western Conference GMs: Nico Harrison of the Mavericks and Rob Pelinka of the Lakers. Both earn $5 million a year in their roles.
Harrison is a former Nike executive who was hired as the team’s general manager in 2021. He’s built strong relationships with players around the league, but his relationship with the Dallas fanbase has been strained since the shocking trade of superstar Luka Dončić.
Pelinka has been the GM of Los Angeles since 2017. He’s presided over the signings of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and their 2020 NBA title. Contrary to Harrison, his standing with the Los Angeles fanbase has improved since the Luka trade.
Third is Sam Presti of the Thunder, who makes $4.5 million annually.
Presti served as the Spurs’ assistant general manager for seven years before being promoted to Oklahoma City in 2007.
He faced the challenges presented to small-market teams headfirst. The Thunder have the fifth-lowest total cap allocation budget in the NBA, yet have become one of the best teams in the Western Conference over the past few years.
Ranking The Highest-Paid General Managers in the NBA
Below is the entire list of the highest-paid NBA GMs. The list was compiled with data from MoneyInc and the Spotrac.
- Updated: April 15th, 2025
| Rank | Name | Team | Compensation |
| T-1 | Nico Harrison | Dallas Mavericks | $5 million |
| T-1 | Rob Pelinka | Los Angeles Lakers | $5 million |
| 3 | Sam Presti | Oklahoma City Thunder | $4.5 million |
| 4 | Elton Brand | Philadelphia 76ers | $4 million |
| 5 | Masai Ujiri | Toronto Raptors | $3.5 million |
| T-6 | Danny Ainge | Utah Jazz | $3 million |
| T-6 | Mike Dunleavy Jr. | Golden State Warriors | $3 million |
| T-8 | Arturas Karnisovas | Chicago Bulls | $2.5 million |
| T-8 | Trent Redden | Los Angeles Clippers | $2.5 million |
| T-10 | Matt Lloyd | Minnesota Timberwolves | $2 million |
| T-10 | Mike Gansey | Cleveland Cavaliers | $2 million |
| 12 | Zach Kleiman | Memphis Grizzlies | $1.8 million |
| 13 | James Jones | Phoenix Suns | $1.7 million |
| 14 | Anthony Parker | Orlando Magic | $1.5 million |
| 15 | Jeff Peterson | Charlotte Hornets | $1.4 million |
| 16 | Will Dawkins | Washington Wizards | $1.3 million |
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