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 to their compensation in recent years.
Highly-valued GMs can rake in salaries that rival some NBA players.
R.C. Buford is the highest-paid NBA GM of 2024.
The Spurs GM earns $10 million per year managing roster moves and contract negotiations. Buford has helped oversee one of the most successful franchises of the modern NBA era. San Antonio has won five championships during his tenure since 2002.
He’s recently shifted to a new role with the Spurs while they continue to rebuild their team to its previous levels.
Second on the list is David Griffin at $6.5 million per year. He leads the front office of the Pelicans and has been in his role since 2019.
Griffin previously spent nine years in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers made three straight finals appearances and won the 2016 NBA title under his leadership.
Tied for third 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 hired in 2021 to be the team’s general manager. He’s built strong relationships with players around the league including Luka Doncic.
Pelinka has been the GM of Los Angeles since 2017. He’s presided over the signings of LeBron James and Anthony Davis and their 2020 NBA title.
Fifth is Sam Presti of the Thunder who makes $4.5 million annually.
Presti served as the assistant GM of the Spurs for seven years before his promotion in 2007 to Oklahoma City.
He is faced with the challenges presented to small-market teams. The Thunder have the third-lowest total cap allocation budget of any team in the top 10.
Ranking The Highest-Paid General Managers in the NBA
Below is the entire list of the highest-paid NBA GMs, and includes their respective team’s total cap allocations. The list was compiled with data from MoneyInc and the Desired Desk.
- Updated: June 6, 2024
| Rank | Name | Team | Total Cap Allocations | Compensation |
| 1 | R.C. Buford | San Antonio Spurs | $155 million | $10 million |
| 2 | David Griffin | New Orleans Pelicans | $199 million | $5.8 million |
| T-3 | Nico Harrison | Dallas Mavericks | $192 million | $5 million |
| T-3 | Rob Pelinka | Los Angeles Lakers | $212 million | $5 million |
| 5 | Sam Presti | Oklahoma City Thunder | $163 million | $4.5 million |
| 6 | Elton Brand | Philadelphia 76ers | $245 million | $4 million |
| 7 | Masai Ujiri | Toronto Raptors | $176 million | $3.5 million |
| T-8 | Danny Ainge | Utah Jazz | $151 million | $3 million |
| T-8 | Mike Dunleavy Jr. | Golden State Warriors | $249 million | $3 million |
| T-10 | Arturas Karnisovas | Chicago Bulls | $221 million | $2.5 million |
| T-10 | Trent Redden | New York Knicks | $206 million | $2.5 million |
| T-12 | Tim Connelly | Denver Nuggets | $210 million | $2 million |
| T-12 | Koby Altman | Cleveland Cavaliers | $192 million | $2 million |
| 14 | Zach Kleiman | Memphis Grizzlies | $186 million | $1.8 million |
| 15 | James Jones | Phoenix Suns | $244 million | $1.7 million |
| 16 | Jeff Weltman | Orlando Magic | $180 million | $1.5 million |
| 17 | Mitch Kupchak | Charlotte Hornets | $146 million | $1.4 million |
| 18 | Tommy Shepard | Washington Wizards | $213 million | $1.3 million |
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