Top 5 MVP Candidates After The Quarter Point Of The 2025-26 NBA Schedule

A shade over the quarter mark of the 2025–26 season, and we're already witnessing one of the most stacked MVP races in recent memory. Five legitimate superstars are putting up historically absurd numbers, making this feel less like a race and more like watching the basketball gods show off. Here's how things stand as the season heads toward the halfway point:

The Joker continues to make the game look easy. He's averaging a casual 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists while shooting an obscene 71% from the field in November. That's not a typo; he's literally making seven out of every ten shots with shooting splits of 61/41/85. So far this season, Jokić has had a 55-point triple-double game, a 44-point game, and a 29-point/20-rebound/16-assist triple-double game.

The reigning MVP isn’t ready to give up his crown just yet. SGA has the Thunder sitting pretty at 23–1, the best record in basketball, while averaging 33 points per game and leading the league in plus-minus. He's scored 30-plus in all but four games this season despite playing roughly 33 minutes per game because Oklahoma City keeps blowing teams out. When you're this good, and your team is this dominant, you're in the MVP conversation by default. 

In his first full season in Los Angeles, Luka Dončić has officially taken over control of the Lakers. He leads the league in scoring at 35 points per game while the Lakers sit second in the West at 17–6. He's slimmed down, playing the best basketball of his career, and doing his usual thing of making 40-point triple-doubles look routine. The storyline alone—generational talent in his prime, playing alongside LeBron James—makes this MVP candidacy must-watch television.

The biggest surprise of the season? Detroit is 19–5 and leads the entire Eastern Conference, thanks in part to Cunningham's breakout. He's averaging career-highs across the board (27.5 points, 9.3 assists, 6.4 rebounds) with seven 30+ point games to date and a pair of triple-doubles, one coming off a 46-point effort. Two years ago, the Pistons won 14 games all season. Now they're legitimate contenders, and Cunningham is the engine. If Detroit stays atop the East, he's got a real shot at claiming his first MVP.

Giannis is once again doing Greek Freak things, dominating in every statistical category imaginable. The problem? He strained his calf on December 3rd and has already missed significant time, putting him dangerously close to the 65-game threshold required for MVP consideration. Having played just 17 games and been sidelined for the last eight, the cutoff for individual awards will be close. Adding in all the trade talk to the conversation puts the two-time MVP on the brink of eligibility, especially if the Bucks or his new potential team decides to sit the star forward. For now, we will still consider him in contention, even if it is by the slightest margin.