The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the NBA’s biggest and oldest teams. They had the fifth-highest payroll in the 2024-25 season and fielded some of the highest-paid players in the league in LeBron James and Luka Dončić.
Both James and Dončić will continue to be at the top of L.A.’s bill in the near future, so let’s look at their salaries and those of the other remaining top five players.
Five Highest-Paid Players on The Lakers’ Roster in 2025
5) Austin Reaves – $12.9 million
Austin Reaves emerged as the third-best player on the Lakers’ roster last season but was the fifth-highest-paid athlete. He inked a four-year, $53.8 million contract with a player option for the 2026-27 season and a 15% trade bonus in 2023. He will make just a million more next season than his salary last season.
4) Dorian Finney-Smith – $14.9 million
The prototypical 3-and-D wing, Dorian Finney-Smith, had a nice run with the Lakers following his midseason trade from Brooklyn. He earned a little less than $15 million during the 2024-25 season, and while he has a player option worth over $15.3 million, the 32-year-old is expected to look for a multi-year deal.
3) Rui Hachimura – $17 million
Rui Hachimura continued to be a solid contributor for the Lakers last season and carried the third-highest cap hit at $17 million. He is entering the final year of his three-year, $51 million deal with the Lakers and will make $18.2 million for the 2025-26 season. He averaged 13.1 points and five rebounds per game last season.
2) Luka Dončić – $43 million
Dončić is on a five-year, $215.2 million contract that he initially signed with the Dallas Mavericks. The deal, which pays him an average annual salary of a little north of $43 million per year, is guaranteed through the 2025-26 season with a team option for 2026-27.
Prior to the trade, Dončić was set to be eligible for a super-max extension this offseason, which would have paid him $345 million over five seasons. However, his largest long-term option now is a 4-year, $229 million extension after August 2. On his current contract, Dončić will make $46 million next season.
REPORT: Lakers are willing to offer Luka Dončić any contract structure he wants, per @TheAthletic 🚨
– Aug 2, 2025: Eligible for 4yr/$229M extension
– Alt: 3yr/$165M w/ player option → 5yr/$418M in 2028
– Or: Opt out in 2026 → 5yr/$296M pic.twitter.com/JQ5ffRUhxA— Lakers Better (@LakersBetter) May 4, 2025
1) LeBron James – $48.7 million
James signed a two-year, $101.3 million contract to stay in Los Angeles during the 2024 offseason and roughly made $48.7 million last season. That ranked him as the 14th-highest-paid player in the NBA.
James’ contract came with a 2025 player option worth just over $52.6 million, and he’s likely to accept that amount. The four-time MVP was still productive this past season at age 40 and was named an All-Star for the 21st straight year, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds.
