Top Five Candidates for the 2026/27 NBA MVP

“I remember waking up in the middle of the night during summers to run hills and do push-ups.” Just one sentence from Kevin Durant’s 2014 Most Valuable Player (MVP) speech shows the determination and years of work that go into getting the prestigious title of NBA MVP. Many kids with a love for basketball dream of making it to the league. Some practice for hours everyday in their backyard. They dream of making it to college-level basketball, to making it to the league, and potentially becoming the MVP of the NBA. For many, these dreams never become reality, but for a select few, they remain within reach. Based on the performance of the best players the NBA has to offer, here are the top five contenders who we believe have the best chance to win the MVP this coming season. 

1. Anthony Edwards

Shooting guard Anthony Edwards is the undisputed leading scorer and offensive engine for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was the third-leading scorer in the league,  averaging 28.8 points per game in the 2025/26 season. What is even more impressive is that his points per game have continued increasing since his rookie year. Edwards started out his  rookie season averaging 19.3 points per game. This past season, he reached an average of 28.8 points per game, showcasing his individual growth.

Although Edwards may continue to improve individually, his team must find regular-season success for him to secure the award. Thankfully for Edwards, the Timberwolves have made numerous key moves over the offseason, including the blockbuster acquisition of point guard LaMelo Ball. 

If Edwards is able to improve individually in both offense and defense, with his team matching him by advancing to play at an elite level, Edwards will have a legitimate chance at being the favorite to win the MVP next season. 

2. Victor Wembanyama

Through center Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs managed to finish the regular-season with a record of 62-10, and earned an NBA Finals appearance, though they ended up losing the series to the New York Knicks. Wembanyama shows unprecedented impact as one of the best two-way players—a player who excels both offensively and defensively—in the league. He averaged 25 points per game, 11.5 rebounds per game, and led the league in blocks per game with 3.1. 

However, Wembanyama winning the MVP still depends on some key factors. The first is his ability to stay healthy during the season. Even though he did play 64 games last season, his injury in 2024 sidelined him for nearly half the season. In addition, Wembanyama must improve at thriving under pressure and being an effective leader to his teammates.

These shortcomings were illustrated in the 2026 NBA Finals. During Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, the Spurs blew a 29-point lead against the New York Knicks, which came off of crucial mistakes that Wemby made. He turned the ball over in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, giving the Knicks the lead. To add on, he missed both free throws with 1:47 left in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals.  

Edwards is playing his sixth season, and many consider him to be one of the most clutch players in the NBA. On the other hand, Wembanyama has made crucial mistakes on the biggest stage of basketball, ultimately leading to losses. Compared to a player who can score at will in clutch periods, Wembanyama is bound to fall behind. 

3. Luka Dončić

Leading the league in points per game at 33.5, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić is undoubtedly one of the best scorers in the league. Points are not the only way he contributes to the team. Dončić is also an elite playmaker, averaging 8.3 assists per game. 

However, Dončić struggles during the regular season, when he is leading his team to one of the top seeds. For the past eight years, Dončić has never recorded more than 53 wins. In a voting race where team record plays a huge factor, it is necessary that Dončić is able to win games and not just excel individually. To add on, Dončić needs to reduce his technical fouls.

In the past season, Dončić was a leader in the league of technical fouls with 16. The only person who had more technical fouls than Dončić was Phoenix Suns guard Dillon Brooks. Dončić’s number of technical fouls was so significant that his eligibility for major NBA awards came into question, causing the league to rescind his suspension so that he would avoid the automatic one-game suspension. 

Luka Dončić is the best on this list in terms of individual performance. However, that is only on the offensive end. Despite being the best offensive player in the league, he is known to have abysmal defense. Dončić has a 41 percent blow-by rate, which is one of the worst in the league. However, his chances of winning MVP will increase with the improvement of his defense.

4. Nikola Jokić 

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is an offensive anomaly, and one of the most dangerous players in basketball history. Jokić finished last season averaging a 28-point triple-double, and he is debatably the best offensive player in the league right now. He would place higher on this list if not for two major factors.

The first is voter fatigue. Voters do not want to see the same player win MVP over and over again, and considering that Jokić already has three MVPs in the last six years, the odds are not in his favor. A previous example of voter fatigue influencing MVP voting happened 30 years ago. In 1997, Michael Jordan led the league in scoring, and led the best team in the league. However, Karl Malone, who had the second best record, still won the MVP, despite averaging less in almost all statistical categories. 

The second flaw is the Nuggets’ overall team performance, as Denver has not been as dominant as some of the other top teams in the league. While Jokić’s individual numbers are incredible, MVP voters often look at a player’s team success when deciding who deserves the award. If the Nuggets fail to finish near the top of the Western Conference, it could hurt Jokić’s chances, especially if another candidate leads their team to a better record while putting up similarly impressive statistics.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shooting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a back-to-back MVP, is without a doubt a legitimate candidate for MVP. But, he has some issues with his case that make it harder to argue for him.

Similarly to Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander could also suffer from voter fatigue. Voters want a new face of the NBA, but Gilgeous-Alexander has already dominated the league for two years. In a league where fans constantly want a new superstar, Gilgeous-Alexander will have a difficult chance of winning MVP this year. Another concern is in his individual numbers. While Gilgeous-Alexander has been averaging an efficient 30 points per game, it will be hard for him to compete, solely off of individual performance, with some of the more impressive statlines from the other candidates such as Jokić or Dončić.  

Despite these concerns, Gilgeous-Alexander has one of the best offenses in the league, is currently leading one of the best teams in the NBA, and has consistently led his team deep into the playoffs. Thus, his offensive capability combined with his team’s success provide him with a chance to win the MVP. However, the voter fatigue that is against him retracts much of the advantage that Gilgeous-Alexander has. 

These five players come with advantages and disadvantages, each with a different case for winning MVP. Still, with the amount of skilled players the NBA has to offer, there is no clear-cut MVP for the upcoming season. Basketball is unpredictable and comes with numerous surprises, and the 2026/27 MVP-winner could absolutely be one of them.