The NBA has officially announced the three finalists for the 2025-26 Kia MVP Award: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama. Here’s where each stands heading into the announcement.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — The Frontrunner
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is the heavy favorite after an extraordinary regular season. SGA averaged 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game while leading OKC to the league’s best record at 64-18. In a final media straw poll by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Gilgeous-Alexander received 88 first-place votes — a runaway lead. He has been the most consistently dominant player in the NBA this season.
Nikola Jokić — The Case for Three
Jokić continues to defy basketball logic. The Nuggets center averaged a triple-double this season — 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game. He’s the only player in NBA history to record multiple triple-double averages over a full season. If there’s an argument for anyone other than SGA, it runs through Joker.
Victor Wembanyama — The Star on the Rise
At just 22 years old, Wemby put up 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game as the Spurs emerged as the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed. His combination of scoring, rebounding, and shot-blocking is unprecedented for his age. He may not win this year, but his presence on the finalist list signals that the MVP race is entering a new era.
The winner will be announced in the coming weeks. Barring a surprise, this looks like SGA’s award to lose.
