Nikola Jokic’s expected exit from the MVP race has left it wide open. The three-time MVP had once again separated himself from the pack, averaging an absurd 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game while shooting 60.5% from the field, 43.5% from three, and 85.3% at the line. Before the knee hyperextension that is expected to sideline him for at least four weeks, the award was heading the Serbian’s way.
Now, that certainty is gone. With Jokic likely falling short of the games-played threshold, the race is open. The top five candidates assume their positions at the forefront and will likely be the favorites to challenge for the elusive individual honor all year long. Time to dive in.
5. Jaylen Brown
2025-26 Season Statistics: 29.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Jaylen Brown’s MVP candidacy is about circumstance. With Jayson Tatum lost for the season and both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis moved in trades, Boston was supposed to rebuild and try to sneak into the playoffs.
Instead, Brown has taken his game to a superstar level, averaging 29.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shouldering the heaviest offensive and leadership burden of his career. More importantly, Brown has given the Celtics playoff hope again.
At 20-12 and sitting third in the Eastern Conference, Boston is winning because Brown has embraced being the guy. His leadership has been outstanding on a rebuilding team. While his MVP case lacks the gaudy win total of those above him, few players have meant more to their team’s survival this season than Jaylen Brown.
4. Luka Doncic
2025-26 Season Statistics: 33.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Statistically, Luka Doncic’s season is as overwhelming as ever. He’s posting 33.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game, which are nowhere near normal. The Lakers, like the Mavericks before them, orbit Luka. He is an entire system of his own.
Team success has also aligned with the numbers, despite some struggles recently. Los Angeles sits fifth in the Western Conference at 20-11, and without Doncic, this roster simply wouldn’t function. He is the offense, the bailout option, and the best player on the team.
While questions about defense and effort occasionally surface in MVP debates, Luka’s case is based on every metric that historically defines MVP consideration: production, stats, and consistency. Luka checks all the options, and he will be a top-five candidate for most of his career as a result.
3. Jalen Brunson
2025-26 Season Statistics: 29.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Jalen Brunson has turned leadership into a form of superstardom. Averaging 29.4 points and 6.6 assists, Brunson has been the face of New York since his arrival. The Knicks’ rise to the second seed in the East is largely due to Brunson, and he proved it by leading the Knicks to an In-Season Tournament championship.
The numbers look outstanding, his teammates follow him, and Madison Square Garden trusts him. Not to mention, there probably isn’t a more clutch player in the NBA. While some players have slightly flashier statlines, Brunson’s leadership and team success will hold him in the top three for the MVP all season long.
2. Cade Cunningham
2025-26 Season Statistics: 26.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 9.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Cade Cunningham has been getting better every season, and this year, he is an MVP candidate and bona fide superstar. Averaging 26.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 9.7 assists, Cunningham has transformed Detroit into the best team in the Eastern Conference and its No. 1 seed.
What separates Cade from most breakout candidates is impact. He is the best player on the best team, and Detroit’s offense flows entirely through his decision-making. At just 24 years old, Cunningham has checked every traditional MVP box: team success, leadership, andstats.
If not for one player ahead of him, this would feel like his award to lose.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2025-26 Season Statistics: 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG
With Nikola Jokic sidelined, the MVP race will be led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Averaging 32.2 points, 6.4 assists, and elite defensive numbers, SGA has been the most complete guard in basketball. Alongside Jokic, no player in the NBA completely controls the pace of a game and how it flows like SGA.
Team success seals the argument. The Thunder own the best record in the Western Conference, and there is no ambiguity about who drives that dominance. SGA is their scorer, closer, defensive disruptor, and leader.
With Jokic out, there is no longer a debate about who the most valuable player in basketball has been this season. If Shai secures back-to-back MVPs, he would have deserved it because, as things stand in terms of who is available, he is the best player in basketball.
