San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has earned his first nomination for NBA Most Valuable Player, joining Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the three finalists, according to Sunday’s league announcement.
The NBA revealed its complete list of award finalists for the 2025-26 season during NBC’s coverage of the playoff opener between the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons.
The 22-year-old Wembanyama, who is simultaneously competing for Defensive Player of the Year honors, posted career-high numbers with 25.0 points per game and 11.5 rebounds while topping the NBA with 3.1 blocked shots nightly. Should he claim the MVP trophy, Wembanyama would surpass Derrick Rose as the youngest recipient in NBA history, being several months younger than Rose was during his 2010-11 victory.
Standing in his path are the two most recent MVP winners: Gilgeous-Alexander, who captured his inaugural MVP title last season while averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per contest, and Jokic, the 2023-24 champion who posted 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game for his third overall MVP honor.
Joining Wembanyama in the Defensive Player of the Year race are Detroit’s Ausar Thompson and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, though Wembanyama enters as the overwhelming favorite.
The Rookie of the Year competition features three players from the top four draft selections. Dallas’s Cooper Flagg, selected first overall, contributed 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe, the third pick, averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals. Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, chosen fourth, delivered 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while leading all players with 273 three-point field goals made.
The Most Improved Player finalists include Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Portland’s Deni Avdija, and Detroit’s Jalen Duren. Alexander-Walker’s first Atlanta campaign produced 20.8 points per game, representing a 9.8-point increase over his previous career high across six prior seasons. Avdija reached a personal best of 24.2 points per game, while Duren, like Avdija a first-time All-Star selection, jumped to 19.5 points after averaging just 11.8 last year.
Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr., Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., and San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson comprise the Sixth Man of the Year nominees.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Denver’s Jamal Murray, and Gilgeous-Alexander are vying for Clutch Player of the Year recognition. Each candidate would claim the award for the first time in what marks the fourth year of the honor’s existence.
Three coaches leading top-two seeded teams earned Coach of the Year nominations: Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson, and Boston’s Joe Mazzulla. The eventual winner will be receiving the Coach of the Year award for the first time.
Award announcements begin this week during playoff telecasts, starting Monday with Defensive Player of the Year, followed by Clutch Player on Tuesday, Sixth Man on Wednesday, and Most Improved Player on Friday.
