End Of Season Top 3 MVP Candidates

With the 2025-26 regular season officially in the books as of April 12, the race for the Michael Jordan Trophy has narrowed to a trio of players who individually had impressive statistical seasons while helping their teams to success in the standings. While the league’s talent pool is arguably the deepest it has been in a long time, these three stars have separated themselves by way of statistical production and team impact. 

Here is the breakdown of the frontrunners for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. 

As the reigning 2024-25 MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander entered this season with the task of not only repeating team success with another championship but also mirroring or bettering his numbers from last season. SGA managed to do both at an elite level. Leading the Thunder to a league-best 64-18 record, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, shooting an impressive 55.3% field goal percentage. His ability to pilot the NBA's most dangerous, well-rounded offense while remaining a force on defense makes him the heavy favorite to join the ranks of back-to-back MVP winners.

In just his third professional season, Wembanyama has transitioned from prospect to superstar. He finished the year as the league's premier defensive stopper, averaging 3.1 blocks while adding a versatile 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds. At the beginning of the season, many expected the Spurs to contend for a playoff spot; however, thanks in large part to Wembanyama, San Antonio became a legitimate threat for the NBA Championship. While the big man game has changed over the years, Wembanyama has taken his skill set to another level, combining perimeter shot-creation, ball handling, and unmatched rim protection. Should Wembanyama win the MVP, he will tie Derrick Rose and Wes Unseld as the only 22-year-olds to accomplish such a feat. 

A three-time winner (2021, 2022, 2024), Jokić continues to play at an MVP level despite being three years older than the other two contenders on this list. While the league looks towards the rise of younger stars, the "Joker" posted his second straight triple-double season with 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. While he may finish third due to the historic narratives surrounding Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama, ignoring what Jokić means to the Nuggets and the numbers that he puts up on a nightly basis would be a discredit to his greatness as one of the most consistent and dominant players in NBA history.