This Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers will meet in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The visitors have the chance to close out the series, which they currently lead 3–1, and reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. So, how do both teams compare in terms of payroll?
According to HoopsHype, the Knicks rank fourth in the NBA for total payroll, with a roster costing $193,588,886 this season. Only the Phoenix Suns ($220,708,856), the Minnesota Timberwolves ($204,780,898), and the Boston Celtics ($195,348,491) spend more.
Indiana is much further down the list, sitting in the bottom third at 22nd overall, with a total payroll of $169,846,170. In fact, they are the fourth-lowest spending team in the Eastern Conference—highlighting the significance of their performance this campaign, both in the regular season and the playoffs, where they eliminated higher-spending teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This trend isn’t limited to the East. In the Western Conference, something similar happened. The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated throughout the season with a 68–14 record and carried that success into the postseason, securing their spot in the NBA Finals. They did all this while ranking 25th in league payroll at $167,971,133.
Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are the Indiana Pacers’ best-paid players.
Indiana’s highest-paid players
Of the nearly $170 million allocated to the Pacers’ roster this season, the biggest portions go to Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Both are tied as the team’s top earners, each making $42,176,000. That salary puts them 21st in the NBA, tied with Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen.
Only one other Indiana player ranks in the NBA’s top 100 highest-paid: Myles Turner, who earns $19,928,500 and sits at No. 86. Further down the list are Obi Toppin (125th with $12,975,000), Aaron Nesmith (154th with $11,000,000), and TJ McConnell (172nd with $9,300,000).
Who are the top earners on the Knicks?
The New York Knicks, as expected, have more players among the NBA’s top 100 salaries this season. Leading the team is Karl-Anthony Towns, who ranks ninth league-wide with an annual salary of $49,205,800. The center trails Stephen Curry—the league’s highest-paid player—by just $6 million.
OG Anunoby is New York’s second-highest earner, pulling in $36,637,931, which places him among the league’s top 30. Next is Jalen Brunson, earning $24,960,001 and ranked 65th, though that figure hardly reflects his value on the court. Mikal Bridges (69th with $23,300,000) and Josh Hart (95th with $18,144,000) are the other Knicks players in the top 100.
