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.
R.C. Buford is the highest-paid NBA GM of 2024.
The Spurs GM earns $10 million annually 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 as 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 fifth-lowest total cap allocation budget in the NBA.
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 Spotrac.
- Updated: November 7, 2024
| Rank | Name | Team | Compensation |
| 1 | R.C. Buford | San Antonio Spurs | $10 million |
| 2 | David Griffin | New Orleans Pelicans | $5.8 million |
| T-3 | Nico Harrison | Dallas Mavericks | $5 million |
| T-3 | Rob Pelinka | Los Angeles Lakers | $5 million |
| 5 | Sam Presti | Oklahoma City Thunder | $4.5 million |
| 6 | Elton Brand | Philadelphia 76ers | $4 million |
| 7 | Masai Ujiri | Toronto Raptors | $3.5 million |
| T-8 | Danny Ainge | Utah Jazz | $3 million |
| T-8 | Mike Dunleavy Jr. | Golden State Warriors | $3 million |
| T-10 | Arturas Karnisovas | Chicago Bulls | $2.5 million |
| T-10 | Trent Redden | Los Angeles Clippers | $2.5 million |
| T-12 | Matt Lloyd | Minnesota Timberwolves | $2 million |
| T-12 | Mike Gansey | Cleveland Cavaliers | $2 million |
| 14 | Zach Kleiman | Memphis Grizzlies | $1.8 million |
| 15 | James Jones | Phoenix Suns | $1.7 million |
| 16 | Anthony Parker | Orlando Magic | $1.5 million |
| 17 | Jeff Peterson | Charlotte Hornets | $1.4 million |
| 18 | Will Dawkins | Washington Wizards | $1.3 million |
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