The NBA offseason was a busy one and the race for next season’s MVP award looks wide open at the moment but these are the 5 players likely to win the Michael Jordan trophy
Victor Wembanyama
As the season begins, San Antonio’s big man is the new favorite to win his first MVP. He played 87 games in the regular season and playoffs, finishing third in MVP voting, and led the Spurs to 62 regular-season wins and their first trip to the Finals in over a decade.
He won the Western Conference Finals MVP award after Spurs outlasted Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games, averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in that series
He’s heading into his fourth year in the league with the same Spurs team as last season and he’s by far the most likely to win the MVP award this coming season
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The two-time MVP is starting a new chapter in Miami and will be pairing up with Bam Adebayo in front court.
Injuries limited him to just 36 games last season, when the Bucks went 32-50. But a fit Giannis is arguably the best player in the league and now with a proven roaster around him, he will most likely become an MVP candidate again
Luka Doncic
Doncic had a stellar 25/26 season for the Lakers, leading the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game while also averaging 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists
He was fourth in MVP voting last season and lost out on finishing top 3 due to a late-season hamstring injury. Now healthy and signed to a new contract, a big year could finally get him over the hump.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander
The best player in the league at the moment. He has already won two straight MVPs, averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds last season while leading the Thunder to the best record in the league at 64-18.
No one has won three MVPs in a row since Larry Bird in the 1980s, but Shai is in a good position to break that record
OKC is going into the new season with almost the same squad as last season and only a few inconsequential changes.
On a good day, they are one of the best teams in the league and coupled with Shai’s leadership and consistency, he has a strong case for winning the MVP title again
Anthony Edwards
Edwards continues to climb the ladder. He finished third in the NBA in scoring last season at 28.8 points per game, trailing only Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander.
And now he finally has another star beside him on the roaster in LaMelo Ball. Melo’s addition will reduce the pressure on Edwards and give him enough space to fully focus on scoring and defending with Lamelo being the primary playmaker
If the Timberwolves win enough games, he could break into the top of the race this year.
Verdict
Wembanyama is the favorite to get the award this year due to his performances and career trajectory since he entered the league.
Every other person trails behind but a fully fit Giannis is a player everyone in the league must be afraid of
Regardless of how it plays out, this is shaping up as one of the most interesting MVP races in years.
