The MVP race is tightening, and the 65-game eligibility rule is now shaping the conversation as much as any head-to-head matchup. Nikola Jokić is flirting with the ineligibility line, meaning every absence from here forward has real award consequences, not just standings impact. Stephen Curry is already effectively out of the regular-season awards picture because the missed-games math is moving past the threshold, which wipes out any realistic MVP runway even if his per-game level stays elite.
Among the primary candidates, Cade Cunningham’s case keeps getting louder because the Pistons are sitting first in the East and playing like a team with real home-court stakes, not a cute story. Victor Wembanyama is pushing into the top tier because the Spurs just delivered the cleanest team argument you can put next to an MVP résumé: an unbeaten month. San Antonio went 11-0 in February and stretched its win streak to 11, a result that is hard to hand-wave away.
Today, we are updating our own MVP power rankings after NBA.com also published its weekly ladder earlier.
10. Kevin Durant
2025-26 Stats: 26.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 50.8% FG, 40.2% 3P%
Kevin Durant checks in at No. 10 because the individual level is still clearly MVP-caliber, but his overall case sits a tier below the very top of this race. The production is clean, the efficiency is elite, and the shooting splits still force opponents to guard him with their best wing and a second body ready to stunt. He is not surviving on reputation. He is producing like a No. 1 option every night and doing it without wasting possessions.
Team success is strong enough to keep him in the conversation. The Rockets are 37-21 and sitting third in the West, which matters in an MVP year where voters are prioritizing top-end seeding and week-to-week control. Durant’s role is also straightforward: he is the late-clock release valve, the matchup punisher against switches, and the one scorer on the roster who can reliably create a clean look against a set defense without needing a screen to do it.
The most concrete “MVP moment” for his candidacy lately was the comeback win against the Magic last night. The Rockets erased a 19-point deficit, and Durant finished with 40 points in a 113-108 win, including the key scoring bursts that stabilized the fourth quarter after the initial run flipped the game. That is the kind of game that keeps a candidate on the ladder because it is not a theoretical value. It is a result attached to a high-usage star performance in a game the team was losing badly.
What keeps Durant at No. 10, instead of pushing higher, is not a lack of quality. It is the standard above him. The top of this race is being defined by candidates who combine elite production with a louder ownership of the league’s best team results, even without the cleanest availability profiles (Durant can still miss 14 games over the remaining schedule).
Durant has been outstanding. He just has less margin than the players above him, which is why he opens our top 10 rather than anchoring the top tier.
9. Jalen Brunson
2025-26 Stats: 26.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 6.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 46.8% FG, 37.2% 3P%
Jalen Brunson is No. 9 because his season has been consistently elite, and the Knicks have stayed in the top tier of the East for months. The Knicks are 37-22 and sitting third in the East, which is the kind of team platform that keeps a lead guard in the MVP conversation even without a “best record in basketball” banner.
The case is simple and concrete. Brunson has been a nightly half-court organizer who can also rescue possessions all alone when the offense stalls. His scoring is not empty usage, and his creation is not dependent on one specific matchup. He gets to his spots, he forces help, and he is good enough as a passer that opponents cannot just load up with two bodies and live with the rotations. That shows up in the offense’s stability, especially in close games where shot quality usually collapses.
This is also where the 65-game rule matters. Brunson has played 54 games so far. With the Knicks at 59 team games, he has already “spent” five absences, leaving him 12 more games he can miss and still clear the 65-game bar. That availability cushion is meaningful when the league is about to enter the stretch where back-to-backs and minor injuries quietly decide who stays eligible.
The last-10 snapshot matches the larger picture: the Knicks are 6-4 over that span, still holding their position near the top of the conference, with Brunson functioning as the central decision-maker on both shot selection and pace. He lands ninth because several players above him have either a stronger two-way signature, a louder team-results case, or both. But as an MVP résumé, this is clean: top-three seed, clear offensive ownership, and a path to staying eligible.
8. Donovan Mitchell
2025-26 Stats: 28.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 48.3% FG, 36.9% 3P%
Donovan Mitchell is No. 8 because his scoring gravity has been one of the loudest forces in the league this season, and the Cavaliers have stayed in the mix near the top of the East. The Cavaliers are 37-23 and sitting fourth in the East, which keeps his candidacy real even if the conference leader has created separation.
Mitchell’s value is easy to pin down: he bends defenses early in possessions, he wins late-clock reps, and he gives the Cavaliers a shot profile that travels. When opponents switch, he attacks. When they blitz, he makes the simple read and punishes the rotation. That combination is why his production has held even as scouting tightens and opponents start game-planning for him first.
His team context has also been strong in a concrete way. The Cavaliers recently pushed a seven-game winning streak, and Mitchell was the lead scorer of those wins, including a 32-point night against the Hornets in a game that tested them against a hungry young squad.
Availability-wise, he is in a solid spot. Mitchell has played 55 games; he has 12 more games he can miss and still reach 65. That buffer is great for his MVP argument, which is built on volume scoring and lead-guard burden, and the 65-game rule can erase even a great season if the minutes and games do not clear the line.
He is eighth because the players above him have either stronger team dominance, more complete two-way impact, or both. But on pure offensive leverage and nightly shot creation, Mitchell belongs in this band.
7. Anthony Edwards
2025-26 Stats: 29.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 49.3% FG, 39.9% 3P%
The Timberwolves have a real MVP platform right now: 37-23, fifth in the West. That context matters for Anthony Edwards, because his candidacy is built on a simple, high-value role: primary scorer, late-clock option, and the player opponents key on before the ball goes up. The production is top-shelf, and it has shown up in the exact games that decide seeding.
The recent stretch is clear. The Timberwolves have won five of their last six, and Edwards just closed a road win over the Clippers with 31 points, including the clinching three late. That is not “good stats on a random night.” That is a direct influence on results in low-scoring games where one player’s shot creation becomes the entire difference.
This is also where the awards conversation gets strict. The 65-game rule is not theoretical for Edwards anymore. The Timberwolves have played 60 games, and Edwards has played 50. He has already missed 10, which leaves seven more games he can miss and still reach 65. The availability math is part of the profile now, especially with the schedule density coming in March.
Why is he No. 7 and not higher? The cleanest argument is two-fold. First, the top of this race is being driven by players with louder team dominance and more consistent primary creation responsibilities every single night. Second, Edwards’ case is strongest when the offense is forcing matchups into his hands and letting him decide possessions. When the Timberwolves’ scoring dries up, the burden on him becomes extreme, and that is where the efficiency swings more than the candidates above him.
Still, this ranking is not about reputation. It is about leverage. Edwards has it, the Timberwolves are in a seed that makes it matter, and the next month is mainly about staying on the floor enough to keep the case eligible.
6. Luka Doncic
2025-26 Stats: 32.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 8.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 47.0% FG, 35.7% 3P%
The Lakers are 34-24, sixth in the West, and the standings pressure is real in that tier. Luka Doncic is No. 6 because his offensive load is unmatched across the league in both volume and responsibility, but his overall MVP pathway has a clear complication: availability and the team’s placement relative to the conference’s top seeds.
From a production standpoint, there is no debate. Doncic leads the league in scoring and is top-three in assists, while functioning as the entire decision-making hub of the Lakers’ offense. Last night’s example was direct: 41 points, eight rebounds, eight assists in a three-point loss to the Suns. Even then, that stat line captures the nightly job description. Every defense is built to crowd him first, and the Lakers’ best offensive possessions still begin and end with his reads.
The 65-game rule is where his candidacy gets tight. Doncic has played in 46 games, so he has already missed 12, leaving him only five more games he can miss and still reach 65. Put plainly: the runway is short.
So why No. 6? The on-court case is top-three. The MVP case is not, because the Lakers are not sitting on an elite seed, and Doncic does not have the same margin for missed time as several players above him. If the Lakers climb into the top four and he stays eligible, the ranking moves up fast. If either part slips, the conversation becomes moot regardless of how dominant the tape looks.
At No. 6, the evaluation is strict: historic-level offense, real seeding stakes, and almost zero room for additional missed games.
5. Jaylen Brown
2025-26 Stats: 29.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 47.9% FG, 34.1% 3P%
The Celtics are 38-20, sitting second in the East, and that is impressive for Jaylen Brown’s MVP case, considering they are playing without Jayson Tatum and a less talented squad than last season. He has played at a true No. 1 option level this year, with the kind of shot diet MVP voters usually reward when it is attached to a contender’s record. The scoring is not only about tough pull-ups. It is a steady diet of downhill rim pressure, post work against smaller defenders, and quick-trigger threes when the defense is late on help.
The clearest argument for Brown at No. 5 is role clarity. The Celtics’ offense has not asked him to be a complementary piece this season. It has asked him to carry primary scoring responsibility, close games, and tilt matchups in ways that show up in the standings every week. That is the MVP signal: opponents game-plan for him first, and the Celtics still win at a high rate. His rebounds and assists are also meaningful because they reflect a larger workload, not empty stat chasing.
Availability is also part of the profile now, and Brown is in a workable spot. He has appeared in 52 games so far. With the Celtics at 58 team games, that means he can miss 11 more games and still clear the 65-game threshold. That cushion is key at this point of the season, when nagging injuries and schedule density start deciding who stays eligible.
At No. 5, the evaluation is simple: elite production, elite team record, and enough availability runway to keep the case alive into the final month.
4. Victor Wembanyama
2025-26 Stats: 23.7 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.8 BPG, 50.1% FG, 34.7% 3P%
February is the clearest team-based evidence for Victor Wembanyama’s MVP climb. The Spurs went 11-0 for the month and pushed their winning streak to 11, a tangible result that separates “dominant player” from “dominant season.” The Spurs are now 43-16, running second in the West, which gives his candidacy the seeding foundation that MVP cases usually require.
Individually, the case is anchored by defensive control. The 2.8 block number is not cosmetic. It changes shot selection, it short-circuits actions early, and it lets the Spurs play more aggressively at the point of attack because the back line is covered. Offensively, the efficiency has held while the volume stays high at almost 24 PPG. That combination is why he is top five in this race and climbing: he is impacting both ends in ways that directly show up in winning streaks and net results.
The only real complication is eligibility pressure. Wembanyama has played 45 games so far. With the Spurs at 59 team games, he can miss only three more games and still reach 65. That is the tightest runway of anyone in this tier, and it is why every absence matters more for him than for the candidates above.
Still, the ranking reflects what has happened on the floor. The Spurs just posted a perfect month, and Wembanyama is the league’s most obvious two-way superstar inside the MVP conversation right now.’
3. Cade Cunningham
2025-26 Stats: 25.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 9.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 45.9% FG, 33.9% 3P%
The Pistons have given Cade Cunningham the strongest possible MVP platform: the No. 1 seed in the East at 43-14. Cunningham turned his season from “breakout” into “best player on the top team,” which is the backbone of almost every modern MVP vote.
The case is concrete. Cunningham is producing like a complete offensive engine, not a high-usage scorer living off volume. The 9.8 assist number is the loudest indicator here. He is generating offense every possession as the Pistons’ organizer, while still scoring at an All-NBA level to dictate coverages. The recent statement win over the Thunder (29 points and 13 assists) captured the shape of his season: high-end creation against elite opposition, with the Pistons winning a game that had direct “best league record” implications.
Team context strengthens the argument further. The Pistons are not surviving on a soft stretch or one hot week. They have been bankable for months, and the league’s broader contender discussion is already treating them as one of the teams meeting the classic “40 before 20” benchmark that usually tracks title-level seasons.
The 65-game rule is also trending in his favor. The Pistons have played 57 games (43-14), and Cunningham has appeared in 51, which leaves him 11 more games he can miss and still reach 65. That buffer is important because several other candidates at the very top are operating with far less margin.
At No. 3, the ranking reflects what is in front of us: elite production, elite team results, and a clean path to staying eligible through the final month.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2025-26 Stats: 31.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 55.4% FG, 39.0% 3P%
No team has combined dominance and consistency like the Thunder. They sit 45-15, first in the West, with a profile that looks like a top seed should look: 119.3 points scored per game, 108.0 allowed, plus an elite home-road split (24-6 at home, 21-8 on the road). That context feeds Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case, because it is not built on stats in a vacuum. It is tied directly to league-best offensive results.
His individual resume is equally clean. Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 31.8 points per game on 55.4% from the field and 39.0% from three, which is a rare efficiency-and-volume combination for a first option. The shot diet is also MVP-relevant: he creates advantages without needing a specific action to free him, which stabilizes the offense in playoff-style possessions when opponents switch, load up, and take away the first read.
The “value” part is clear in how opponents defend the Thunder. The attention he draws opens secondary creation for everyone else, and it is a large reason the Thunder keep winning even when the game script turns ugly. The standings reflect that separation.
Availability is the big pressure point to track week to week in his back-to-back MVP hopes. Gilgeous-Alexander has played 49 games, so he can miss six more games and still meet the 65-game threshold. That runway is tighter than Cunningham’s, which is why he’s reportedly coming back tonight against the Nuggets after being sidelined for 9 games.
At No. 2, this is a complete MVP profile: elite volume, elite efficiency, and the best team results. If he doesn’t miss a long stretch of games again, he’s pretty much a lock to repeat as the league’s MVP again.
1. Nikola Jokic
2025-26 Stats: 28.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 10.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 57.7% FG, 41.3% 3P%
Nikola Jokic sits at No.1 in this ranking with the cleanest all-around profile in the league and enough team success to support it. The Nuggets are 37-22, fourth in the West, which keeps his season tied to key seeding stakes rather than empty production.
The differentiator is control. Jokic is leading the NBA in rebounds and assists while also scoring at almost a 29 PPG rate on elite efficiency, and those categories match how the Nuggets actually generate offense: early reads, quick decisions, and a steady stream of high-quality shots created directly from his touches. It has never been a “hot stretch” case. It is always possession-by-possession certainty. Single coverage turns into efficient scoring. Help defense turns into open threes, layups, and short-roll finishes because his passing is always the right read.
There are also concrete signature results attached to it. The Nuggets just set a franchise record with a 157-103 win over the Trail Blazers, and Jokic led that blowout with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in limited minutes. That game strengthens his MVP terms because it shows what his influence looks like when the opponent’s margin for error disappears early: the offense becomes unguardable without selling out somewhere else.
The only real threat to his candidacy is eligibility, not performance. Jokic has played 43 games, and he has already missed 16. That leaves him just one more game he can miss the rest of the season and still reach the 65-game minimum.
