Miami's 5 Highest Paid Athletes of 2024

Miami pulses to the rhythm of sports and stardom. It should come as no surprise, then, that some of the world’s highest-paid athletes glitter in the Magic City's spotlight.

International soccer superstar Lionel Messi’s move to South Florida sparked a profound transformation within the previously modest operations of Inter Miami CF. More to the financial point, Forbes reports that South Florida has seen an estimated $1 billion-plus increase in local revenue since the Argentinian legend arrived in July of 2023. Accordingly, Messi's deal with the franchise made him the highest-paid player in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) — and the highest-paid athlete in town.

Miami Heat players also figure prominently on the financial landscape of professional sports. Taken as a whole, the NBA team is on the hook for nearly $360 million in guaranteed salary through the 2025-26 season. The NFL's Miami Dolphins are committed to even more — $450 million — albeit with a much larger roster.

Below, listed in descending order of average annual value (AAV), are the salaries of Miami's wealthiest athletes. Note that endorsements from outside companies often play a significant role in supplementing an athlete's income and solidifying their status as financial powerhouses both in-season and off-season.

1. Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF: $60 million AAV (estimated)

Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023. His two-and-a-half-year MLS contract had a $12 million base salary for 2023, but his guaranteed compensation last year totaled $20,446,667. The average annual value of the deal is estimated at $60 million. That includes income from partnerships with companies such as Apple and Adidas — not to mention partial equity in Inter Miami.

2. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat: $48.8 million AAV

Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat's skilled small forward, is completing his fifth season with the Miami Heat and the 13th campaign of his NBA career. In 2021 Butler signed a three-year guaranteed extension worth $146,396,031 (including a third-year player option) — an AAV of $48,798,677.

3. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat: $32.6 million AAV

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo joined the team in 2017. In late 2020, he signed a five-year contract extension worth $163 million. Adebayo’s AAV is $32,600,060.

4. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins: $30 million AAV

Acquired in a 2022 trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tyreek Hill holds the title of the NFL's highest-paid wide receiver. After six seasons with the Chiefs, he joined the Phins and inked a four-year guaranteed extension. The deal, which contains a player opt-out after this year, expires after the 2026 season. Assuming he stays, he'll earn an even $120 million, for an AAV of $30 million.

5. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat: $27 million AAV

At age 24, Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is the youngest to earn a spot on this list. (Adebayo turns 26 this July, Hill recently turned 30, Butler will turn 35 in September, and Old Man Messi is closing in on 37.) In 2022, Herro and the Miami Heat agreed on a four-year guaranteed pact worth $120 million, which equates to an AAV of $27 million.

The Also-Rans

You might ask: What about baseball and hockey?

Simply put, unless your name is Lionel Messi, the big money in Miami is paid out on the basketball court and the gridiron.

Josh Bell and Avisaíl García of the Miami Marlins will make $16.5 million and $12 million this year, respectively. Bell, who's 31, will be a free agent next year. García is in the second year of a three-year, $36 million deal that includes a team option for a fourth year at $12 million or a $5 million buyout. He'll turn 33 in June.

Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers is playing on an eight-year, $80 million deal that expires after the 2029-30 campaign and will earn the 28-year-old center $12 million this year. Panthers left winger Matthew Tkachuk, age 26, is on a similar deal for $76 million that stands to pay him $11.25 million this year.