The most colossal sports contracts signed in 2017

From budding NHL star Connor McDavid to the NBA game-changer Stephen Curry, 2017 was a banner year for supersized sports contracts. In a bid to keep its 30 teams competitive, the NBA has raised the salary cap and is allowing teams to offer unprecedented "supermax" contracts that dwarf any salaries that have come before.

The two most recent MLB deals — the Anaheim Angels signing Shohei Ohtani from Japan and the New York Yankees trading for Giancarlo Stanton — don't make this list because Ohtani didn't sign for very much and Stanton was traded and didn't sign a new contract. As the offseason progresses, though, massive new MLB contracts will be coming.

You might notice that the title of largest NFL contract or richest soccer player was bestowed more than once. That's because in a year like 2017, where massive contracts are the norm, salary records are destined to be quickly broken. Click through to learn about the biggest sports contracts of 2017 and see who is on track to become one of the richest athletes of all time.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Most Colossal Sports Contracts Signed in 2017