The Golden State Warriors reached the 2022 NBA Finals with the highest payroll in basketball. The Boston Celtics barely crack the league's top 20 list of payrolls, though they have six of the 10 highest-paid players in the series.

The Warriors have the NBA Finals’ three highest-paid players, including the superstar with the largest salary for the 2021-2022 season. Stephen Curry made more money than any other player, ranking just ahead of James Harden, John Wall and Russell Westbrook. Jayson Tatum, Boston’s highest-paid player, earns a smaller salary than 34 other NBA players.

The centers are the lowest-paid players in both starting lineups. Kevon Looney’s $5.18 million salary is about $19 million fewer than the Warriors’ fourth-highest paid starter. Robert Williams is making $3.66 million before his four-year, $54 million extension kicks in next season.

Here’s a look at the 10 highest-paid players in the 2022 NBA Finals, via Spotrac. The list doesn’t include players who are signed to the Warriors or Celtics but haven’t played a game this season.

1) Stephen Curry, $45.78 Million

The greatest shooter of all time also has the highest salary in NBA history. The two-time MVP signed a four-year, $215 million extension last summer.

2) Klay Thompson, $37.98 Million

Thomspon didn’t play a single game during the first two seasons of his five-year, $190 million contract. Before suffering a torn ACL in the final game of the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson made five straight All-Star teams.

3) Andrew Wiggins, $31.58 Million

Wiggins was viewed as having one of the worst contracts in the NBA until he transformed himself into a 2022 All-Star. The former No. 1 overall pick has become an important part of Golden State’s defense.

4) Jayson Tatum, $28.1 Million

Tatum is the Celtics’ highest-paid and best player. His five-year, $163 million contract would’ve been worth an additional $25 million had he not just missed making the 2021 All-NBA Third-Team.

5) Al Horford, $27 Million

Horford left the Celtics to sign a four-year, $109 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019. The veteran returned to Boston this season and no longer has the distinction of playing in the most postseason games without an NBA Finals appearance.

6) Jaylen Brown, $25.31 Million

Brown earned a $964,286 bonus for making it to the NBA Finals. The 25-year-old has reached the conference finals in four of his six NBA seasons.

7) Draymond Green, $24.03 Million

The Warriors kept its three core superstars together by giving Green a four-year, $100 million contract in August 2019. Arguably still the league’s best defensive player, Green leads Golden State with 6.3 assists per game this postseason.

8) Derrick White, $15.18 Million

White is one of two Celtics on the list who didn't start the season with Boston. White is averaging 8.1 points per game in the playoffs after being traded from the San Antonio Spurs in February.

9) Marcus Smart. $14.32 Million

Smart’s four-year, $77 million contract is starting to look like a bargain. The veteran was named the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and averaged a career-high 5.9 assists per game.

10) Daniel Theis, $8.28 Million

Theis probably won’t see much playing time during the NBA Finals. He hasn’t been much of a factor in the last two rounds, not playing at all in four games and logging less than 10 minutes in five others.

Steph Curry Klay Thompson Warriors
Stephen Curry #30 and Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 114-111 in game two of the NBA Western Conference Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 16, 2019 in Oakland, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
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