The Sixth Man of the Year award usually sits between two ideas. One is team success. The other is the real value a reserve brings to winning. Sometimes that player is a high-volume scorer. Sometimes he is a secondary creator. Sometimes he is a wing who rebounds, defends, cuts, and fills gaps across the game.
Last season, the award went to Payton Pritchard after he gave the Celtics efficient scoring, shooting, and pace off the bench for one of the league’s best teams. This season, the favorite looks like Keldon Johnson.
The Spurs are 57-18, own the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and Johnson has built a strong case from a clear reserve role. He has appeared in 75 games, all off the bench, and is averaging 13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 53.2% from the field and 38.2% from three.
Still, this race is not closed. Other candidates are still pushing, and the final stretch can change the order quickly. After our Most Improved Player rankings, our Coach of the Year rankings, and then MVP Ladder, here are our latest Sixth Man of the Year power rankings.
10. Quentin Grimes
2025-26 Stats: 13.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 45.2% FG, 33.2% 3P
Quentin Grimes opens this list because the production is real, even if the award case is not as strong as the names above him. He is putting up solid scoring and secondary playmaking numbers for the Sixers, who sit at 41-34 and seventh in the East. That gives him at least some team relevance, which always helps in this race.
The issue is that Grimes does not have the same clear identity in the Sixth Man conversation as other players on this list. His stat line is balanced. He can score, move the ball a bit, and defend in his position. That part is useful. But his three-point number at 33.2% is not strong enough to make him a pure floor-spacing bench weapon, and his overall box-score impact does not jump off the page compared to the players ranked above him.
There is still a reason to include him. Grimes has become a reliable piece for a competitive team, and that matters late in the season. The Sixers are still fighting in the East playoff picture, and rotation players who help stabilize second units usually get at least some attention when voters start looking beyond the obvious names.
Still, this feels more like a respectful mention than a serious push. Grimes has had a solid year, and his all-around numbers are enough to put him on the board. But this award usually asks for either louder scoring, cleaner efficiency, or a more obvious bench identity. He has some of each, but not enough of one thing to force his way much higher than No. 10.
9. Jaime Jaquez Jr.
2025-26 Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 49.8% FG, 30.0% 3P
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has one of the strongest raw stat cases on this list. Nearly 15 points per game, plus 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists, is a serious line for a reserve candidate. He is not just scoring. He is doing a little of everything for the Heat, who are 40-36 and ninth in the East.
That versatility is what keeps Jaquez this high. He can handle the ball, attack the paint, create for others, and fill gaps in lineups that need a connector. In a normal award cycle, that kind of all-around profile can carry real weight. A lot of bench scorers only give points. Jaquez gives more than that, and the assist number is especially helpful because it shows he is not just finishing plays.
The reason he is only ninth is mainly due to the style of his impact. The Heat has had an uneven season, and that can hurt bench candidates when voters compare them to reserves on better teams. The outside shot also remains a weakness. At 30.0% from three, Jaquez does not stretch defenses in the way some other contenders do, so the case has to lean more on versatility than efficiency.
Even with that, Jaquez deserves respect in this race. He has put together a bigger statistical season than many people expected, and he has done it with a mature game that usually ages well in award discussions. He may not feel like the favorite, but he has produced enough to stay in the mix, especially if the Heat close the season well.
8. Daniss Jenkins
2025-26 Stats: 8.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 41.1% FG, 37.4% 3P
Daniss Jenkins was not supposed to be part of this race. He came into the season with no buzz, and now he has played his way into the conversation because his role has changed in a serious way. On a Pistons team that is 54-20 and fighting at the top of the East, Jenkins has gone from depth piece to a guard the team actually needs.
The clearest part of his case is what has happened when Cade Cunningham has been out. In 14 games this season without Cunningham, Jenkins has averaged 16.4 points, 7.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds. That is not a small jump. That is a real workload, and he has handled it well.
The recent stretch helped him a lot. Against the Hawks on March 26, Jenkins had 19 points and 10 assists. Against the Pelicans on March 27, with Cunningham still out, he followed with 19 points and 9 assists. Those are not empty bench numbers from a random night in January. Those are games late in the season, on a winning team, in a bigger role than anyone expected him to have a few months ago.
That is why he belongs on this list. Not because he has the strongest full-season stat line, because he does not. It is because he came out of nowhere and became relevant on a very good team. He has given the Pistons real point guard minutes, real creation, and real stability when the team’s most important player has been unavailable.
He is still not a top-tier favorite for the award, but the rise is real. Jenkins forced his way into the discussion by becoming useful at the exact moment the Pistons needed him.
7. Kel’el Ware
2025-26 Stats: 11.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 52.5% FG, 37.4% 3P
Kel’el Ware has one of the most unusual stat profiles on this list. For a reserve big, 11.0 points and 9.1 rebounds are already strong. Add 1.1 blocks, 52.5% shooting from the field, and 37.4% from three, and now the case gets more serious. He is not just a rebounder or rim runner. He brings real two-way size and some shooting touch, which is a rare combination.
The team context is less helpful. The Heat are only 40-36 and ninth in the East, so Ware does not get the same boost that players on top teams get in these award races. Bench awards often tilt toward winning environments. Still, Ware has produced enough to stay in the mix. His rebounding alone stands out, and few bench players on this list influence possessions in such a clear physical way.
What I like most about his case is that the role feels scalable. Ware can help small lineups by protecting the rim. He can help bigger lineups by spacing a little. He can clean the glass, finish around the basket, and give a second unit a different shape. That makes him more than a stat compiler. He changes how the game looks.
The reason he stays seventh is simple. The award usually leans toward perimeter players with bigger scoring profiles or guards and wings who control bench offense. Ware’s value is more interior and more structural. That is real value, but it is harder to sell in an award race. Still, he has had a very good season, and among the lower half of this list, his impact may be one of the most complete.
6. Dylan Harper
2025-26 Stats: 11.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 49.9% FG, 32.5% 3P
Dylan Harper has a good case here because he is not just a rookie putting up decent numbers on a bad team. He is a No. 2 overall pick doing real work for one of the best teams in the league. The Spurs are 57-18, have already clinched the No. 2 seed in the West, and Harper has given them 11.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 62 games.
That is the main point with him. This is not empty rookie production. Harper has a real bench role on a contender, and that gives his season more weight. He has come in and helped the Spurs keep structure, pace, and rim pressure with the second unit. The efficiency is also good for a first-year guard. He is shooting basically 50.0% from the field, which shows he is not forcing bad shots just to get his numbers.
There is also a stronger rookie angle here. Harper has scored more points off the bench than any rookie in the league this season. That does not make him a favorite by itself, but it does help separate him from the usual young bench guard profile. He is not just flashing potential. He is actually producing for a title contender in his first year.
The reason he is sixth and not higher is also clear. The three-point shot is still only at 32.5%, and some of the names above him have a cleaner award profile right now because they score more efficiently from deep, create at a higher level, or have a more established role. Still, for a rookie, Harper has done more than enough to be in this conversation. He came into the league with pressure, landed on a very good Spurs team, and still found a way to become productive in a bench role. That alone makes his season stand out.
5. Tim Hardaway Jr.
2025-26 Stats: 13.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 45.0% FG, 41.0% 3P
Tim Hardaway Jr. is back in the conversation because this season looks like a real bounce-back year. Last season, he averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 40.6% from the field and 36.8% from three.
This year, those numbers are up to 13.8 points on 45.0% shooting and 41.0% from deep. That is a big jump in efficiency, and it changes the whole picture. He does not look like a streaky bench gunner anymore. He looks like a reliable scoring wing again.
That version of Hardaway has been important for the Nuggets. They are 48-28 and fourth in the West, and one of the reasons this bench group works is that Hardaway gives them instant shooting without needing the ball for long stretches. He is taking 7.0 threes per game and hitting 41.0% of them. That kind of volume and accuracy gives the second unit real spacing, and it also helps the starters when he closes games next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. His 62.8% true shooting also shows how clean the offense has been for him this season.
The recent games support that. He scored 21 against the Jazz on Friday, then followed with 16 against the Warriors on Sunday, with 13 of those points coming in the second half. That is the kind of bench scoring burst the Nuggets needed more often last year and is getting much more consistently now.
This is why Hardaway belongs in the top five. The scoring is up. The shooting is way better. The role is cleaner. And on a strong Nuggets team, he has gone from replaceable veteran wing to a bench piece that actually changes lineups.
4. Reed Sheppard
2025-26 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 42.5% FG, 38.5% 3P
Reed Sheppard’s case starts with how much his season changed. Early on, he was barely part of the rotation. In October, he played only 8.6 minutes per game and scored 2.4 points a night. In November, that only moved to 13.0 minutes and 4.1 points. He was more of a developmental guard than a real bench weapon.
That is not the player Houston has now. Sheppard has forced his way into a real role, and at this point, he looks like one of the Rockets’ most important second-unit guards. Since the All-Star break, he has averaged 15.8 points and 3.9 assists per game, a clear jump from his earlier production. Over his last 25 games, he is at 15.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.6 rebounds. Over his last 15, that climbs to 14.7 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. That is a real late-season push, not a random hot week.
The game log shows it too. He had 19 points and 10 assists against the Wizards on March 2, then 30 points against the Warriors on March 5. He followed that with 17 points against the Spurs on March 8, and he kept producing later in the month with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists against the Grizzlies on Friday. Those are not empty numbers. They show a guard who now has real offensive responsibility.
That is why Sheppard deserves to be this high. He has gone from a sophomore who could not lock down minutes to a bench guard the Rockets actually rely on. The shooting is strong at 38.5% from three, the steals are high at 1.5 per game, and the recent creation jump gives him a much stronger award case than he had a few months ago. The Rockets are not just giving him chances anymore. He has earned them.
3. Ajay Mitchell
2025-26 Stats: 14.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 48.8% FG, 34.8% 3P
Ajay Mitchell has a strong case because, for a good part of the season, he looked like the clear favorite for this award. Before January 27, he was averaging 14.1 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds, and the early buzz around him was real enough that ESPN had him with the second-shortest Sixth Man odds back in November.
Then the season changed a bit. Mitchell missed time with an abdominal strain, and that cooled the momentum. He was the Thunder’s main x-factor in their hot start this season. After the All-Star break, he still kept producing, but the numbers have been a little flatter. In the post-break sample, he is at 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, with the three-point percentage down to 28.6%.
That does not mean the case disappeared. It just lost some force. The Thunder are still 60-16 and first in the West, and Mitchell is still producing efficient bench scoring and secondary creation on the best team in the league. But earlier in the year, it felt like this award was his to lose. Now it feels more open, partly because of the injury pause and partly because the race around him tightened.
He still earns a spot this high because the full-season numbers are strong, the role is clean, and the team context is elite. But the path from early favorite to likely winner is not as clear now as it looked a few months ago.
2. Naz Reid
2025-26 Stats: 13.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 45.9% FG, 36.5% 3P
Naz Reid sits at No. 2 because he already has the perfect profile for this award, and this season, he has backed it up again since winning it in 2024. He is averaging 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks for the Timberwolves, who are 46-29 and fifth in the West.
What makes Reid such a strong candidate is that he is not just a bench scorer. He gives frontcourt depth, rebounding, some floor spacing, and real defensive activity. A reserve big man who can score in volume, rebound at a high level, hit threes at a respectable rate, and make plays on defense is always going to have a serious case.
There is also a trust factor here. Everyone knows what Reid is in this role. He has become one of the league’s most reliable bench bigs, and award voting often leans toward players whose value is visible every night. There is no mystery in the argument. When he checks in, the Timberwolves do not lose force. In many games, they gain it.
Why is he not first? Mostly because Keldon Johnson has the cleaner mix of team success, bench role, and efficiency this season. Reid’s case is still excellent, but the Timberwolves are a step below the very top teams in the West, and Johnson’s numbers come with sharper efficiency from the field and from three.
Even so, Reid is very close. If someone wanted to put him first, it would not be a crazy ballot. He has been one of the most impactful reserves in the league again. In this ranking, No. 2 feels right because he has both the production and the credibility to be taken seriously until the final week.
1. Keldon Johnson
2025-26 Stats: 13.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 53.2% FG, 38.2% 3P
Keldon Johnson is the right No. 1. His case is not built on one giant counting stat. It is built on how clean the full profile looks. He has played 75 games, all as a reserve, and is giving the Spurs 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 53.2% from the field and 38.2% from three. The Spurs are 57-18 and second in the West.
That is exactly what this award usually rewards. A real bench role. Efficient offense. Strong team success. No confusion. Johnson checks every box. He is not chasing empty volume on a bad team, and he is not a part-time reserve with a blurry case. He is a clear second-unit scorer for one of the best teams in the league.
The efficiency is what pushes him over the top. More than 53.0% from the field and 38.2% from three is a strong line for any wing. For a bench wing on a 57-win team, it becomes even stronger. It tells a simple story. Johnson is not just producing. He is doing it in a way that fits winning basketball.
There are players on this list with more assists, more steals, or a broader statistical profile. But Johnson has the cleanest overall award case. The role is stable. The production is strong enough. The team is elite. That combination is hard to beat.
If the season ended today, he would be my pick, too. Reid is close, and Mitchell has a real argument, but Johnson’s season has the exact shape voters usually like. In this race, that is often enough to separate the favorite from the rest.
