For years, many fans wondered how important an NBA coach truly was. Basketball is a player-driven sport, and many fans believed that the highest-paid NBA head coaches weren't overly important. That belief has gone by the wayside, though. It is pretty universally accepted at this point that NBA head coaches are uber-important to the success of their teams. Player development, schemes and play calling, and player management are all becoming some of the most important parts of basketball.
The Miami Heat have made the NBA Finals twice since 2020. Erik Spoelstra is a two-time NBA champion. On Jan.9, 2024, he was rewarded with a new contract because of it. In a league where coaches are being changed all the time for a lot of teams, it has become clear that the best teams in the league oftentimes have long-tenured coaches who can develop their teams in their visions over a long period of time.
The contracts for NBA coaches aren't easily accessible, but we put in the work to find the 10 highest-paid NBA coaches so that you didn't have to. Because of the difficulty in finding contract information, these numbers aren't exact figures. Still, it is believed that these are the 10 coaches that will make the most money in 2023-24.
TBD. Michael Malone: Denver Nuggets, unknown
On Nov. 4, 2023, the Denver Nuggets gave Michael Malone a much-deserved contract extension. The deal is believed to add two more years to Malone's contract. It is also said to make Malone “one of the highest league's paid coaches.” Malone has a 375-272 regular season record with the Nuggets and is the fourth longest-tenured coach in the NBA. Malone has aspirations of making the Nuggets a dynasty, and he will now be in town long enough to try and make that dream a reality. The figures on his deal haven't been released yet, but it is possible he will be one of the five highest-paid coaches this year.
9. Tyronn Lue: Los Angeles Clippers, $6.5 million
Tyronn Lue is a player's coach who seems to be loved by everyone he coaches. He gained LeBron James' respect when he coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, but now he has arguably his biggest challenge yet. Lue coaches the Los Angeles Clippers, and the team is 0-4 since James Harden joined the team. There are a lot of mouths to feed with Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook all on the squad. Lue and the team haven't figured out how to make it work yet, but it seems like a matter of time until the coach figures it out.
8. Ime Udoka: Houston Rockets, $7 million
With the Boston Celtics, Ime Udoka was one of the rising coaching stars in the league. That was shut down quickly because of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer that caused him to lose his job. Udoka landed back on his feet with the Rockets this offseason, though. He has quickly turned one of the worst teams in the league into one of the best teams in the early part of the 2023 season. Udoka's Rockets success demonstrates why he is so highly praised as a basketball coach, so it makes sense that he is so highly paid despite the controversial ending to his Celtics career.
7. Rick Carlisle: Indiana Pacers, $7.5 million
Rick Carlisle was the poster boy for consistency with the Dallas Mavericks. Now, he coaches the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers struggled with mediocrity for years, but they have seemingly turned a corner under the tutelage of Carlisle. Carlisle has always been able to turn his teams into winning programs regardless of what his personnel looks like.
T-5. Jason Kidd: Dallas Mavericks, $8 million
Of all of the highest-paid NBA coaches on this list, Jason Kidd is perhaps the most surprising. His Milwaukee Bucks tenure wasn't great, and it is fair to say that the Mavericks have underperformed since his arrival in Dallas. That was especially true last season. Despite trading for Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks failed to make the playoffs. Kidd has Luka Doncic – one of the most generational talents ever – on his roster, but his team hasn't been able to find much postseason success.
T-5. Nick Nurse: Philadelphia 76ers, $8 million
The Toronto Raptors won their only NBA championship under Nick Nurse, yet the team decided to move on from the coach in the offseason. Nurse immediately became the hottest coaching candidate on the open market, and the Philadelphia 76ers had to make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA in order to secure his services. The Sixers' offseason was filled with drama, mainly around James Harden. Nurse has proved that he is one of the best coaches in the league despite that, and the Sixers currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
4. Steve Kerr: Golden State Warriors, $9.5 million
Creating a dynasty isn't easy, but Steve Kerr did just that with the Golden State Warriors. The team couldn't get over the hump with Mark Jackson, but under Kerr, they are four-time champions. All Kerr does is win. He won five championships as a player in addition to his successes as a coach. Kerr's Warriors are getting older, though, so it will be interesting to see if the coach has anything up his sleeve to give them one last shot at glory this season. Kerr also coaches the United States men's national basketball team.
3. Monty Williams: Detroit Pistons, $13 million
The Detroit Pistons reset the coaching market when they signed Williams to a six-year, 78.5 million contract this past summer. Williams had most recently coached the Phoenix Suns, where he coached for four seasons. Williams immediately changed the culture in Phoenix and made them better, going from 19 wins to an NBA Finals appearance in only two years. But Phoenix moved on from Williams after the Suns' disappointing second-round exit in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals. Now, Williams finds himself with a rebuilding Detroit squad hoping to mimic his success in Phoenix. With former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham as a building block, Williams hopes to prove that he is worthy of being one of only two coaches to get paid eight figures per year.
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2. Erik Spoelstra: Miami Heat, $15 million
Erik Spoelstra started coaching the Heat as a young man. Now, he is the second longest-tenured head coach in the NBA. Heat culture is a real thing, and Spoelstra is a big reason for it. Undrafted and underappreciated players always seem to find success under Spoelstra, and the coach makes his players work harder than everyone else. He won two championships with LeBron James and company a decade ago, but the teams over the last few years have fallen just short. The Heat have lost in the Finals twice since 2020. Despite falling short, the Heat made him the highest-paid head coach in North American sports when they signed him to an eight-year, $120 million extension
1. Gregg Popovich: San Antonio Spurs, $16 million
Gregg Popovich is arguably the greatest coach in the history of the NBA, so it makes sense that he makes so much more than other coaches. Popovich has been coaching the Spurs since 1996, and he has collected five rings along the way. Now, Popovich has the task of turning one of the best prospects ever (Victor Wembanyama) into one of the greatest players ever. The Spurs have always been praised for their player development and team-first system. They are truly the classiest organization in the sport, and Gregg Popovich is a massive reason why. It makes sense that Popovich is the highest-paid NBA coach.
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