With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, here's a definitive list of the 10 candidates who have made the strongest cases for the NBA's prestigious individual regular-season accolade.
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | 28.8 | 4.2 | 6.7 | 46.1 | 37.2 | 89.3 |
While Joel Embiid and Paul George have played less than 40 games apiece, Maxey's ascension has kept the Sixers from avoiding another disastrous season. The two-time All-Star leads the NBA in minutes and is fourth in scoring. His combination of speed and shooting range is unguardable, especially as he relies on his pull-up jumper more than ever - Maxey's on pace to drill the most pull-up threes of his career.
The Sixers have a positive net rating when Maxey is on the floor without Embiid and George, but that rating plummets when all three are out. Considering how frequently those two stars are unavailable, the huge on/off swing for Maxey shows his value and explains why he's played the most minutes.
MVP Odds: N/A
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 26.1 | 3.4 | 6.7 | 46.5 | 37.1 | 84.1 |
Brunson's rise isn't the novel story it once was, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. Although his scoring and efficiency have dipped over the last few months, he still ranks ninth in the league in points and is the catalyst for the third-best offense.
Fans have consistently acknowledged Karl-Anthony Towns' new role, but Brunson has also adjusted to Mike Brown's system. Despite his usage rate increasing from last season, Brunson's time of possession, average seconds per touch, and dribbles per touch are down. And it's not like the Knicks are using him less. They're just using him differently. Brunson's isolation and pick-and-roll frequency have decreased, and his spot-up frequency has increased. He has also recognized the importance of ensuring his teammates are well-fed, a crucial factor as New York enters a pressure-packed postseason.
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 29.3 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 49.3 | 40.4 | 79.7 |
Edwards returned from a six-game absence Monday, meaning he can only miss one of the Timberwolves' final seven games to remain eligible for MVP and All-NBA honors. But Edwards has quietly embarked on the best season of his career despite the questionable availability.
The two-time All-NBA selection is averaging career highs in points and 3-point percentage. Though Edwards' assist totals are lower than the previous three seasons, he shouldn't be held responsible for the Wolves' offense ranking outside the top 10. He's one of the few guards who's imposing on both sides of the ball.
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 27.7 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 47.9 | 36.3 | 86.2 |
Mitchell is averaging four more points and slightly more assists on a higher true-shooting percentage than last campaign, when he finished fifth in MVP voting. He's also top-10 in both points and threes made per game. The Cavaliers' 64 wins last year contributed to his high finish, but Mitchell's scoring has been the driving force on a Cleveland team that has dealt with injuries and roster turnover this season.
Since Jan. 1, the Cavs are 28-12, tied for the league's third-best winning percentage behind the Thunder and Spurs. A slow start to Cleveland's season shouldn't hinder Mitchell's MVP prospects.
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 28.1 | 6.4 | 3.6 | 50.3 | 38.0 | 89.9 |
Leonard has earned two Finals MVPs and made six All-NBA teams, but he's currently playing the best basketball of his career. He's averaging a personal-best 28.2 points per game and a career-high 62.9% true shooting mark.
Following a 6-21 start, the Clippers have since gone 33-15, tied for fourth-most wins in the league during that span. Leonard has catapulted Los Angeles up the standings, even after the team lost James Harden and Ivica Zubac - its second- and third-leading scorers - around the trade deadline. Leonard recently became the first player in NBA history to score at least 20 points in 50 consecutive games at age 30 or older. As long as he plays in five of the Clippers' six remaining contests, he should receive All-NBA first-team consideration and would earn more MVP recognition if L.A. weren't the 8-seed.
MVP Odds: N/A
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 28.6 | 7.1 | 5.2 | 47.4 | 34.2 | 79.6 |
Brown took a victory lap on X after the Celtics reached 50 wins, poking fun at the many NBA observers who predicted a gap year for the Celtics after Tatum's injury last May and the various offseason departures. But Brown's evolution is more shocking than Boston's journey.
The five-time All-Star is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and usage rate while maintaining respectable efficiency. After ranking 19th in isolation points per game last season, Brown now ranks sixth this year. He's also become a reliable pull-up shooter, scoring the league's 10th-most points off dribble jumpers (on improved efficiency) after slotting outside the top 40 in 2024-25. While the Celtics' culture and coach deserve praise, no one is more responsible for Boston's surprising emergence to the 2-seed than Brown.
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 24.5 | 11.4 | 3.1 | 50.4 | 35.1 | 82.2 |
The No. 4 slot might seem low compared to the national narrative surrounding Wembanyama's MVP candidacy, but the French phenom isn't deserving of the award. No MVP in the 21st century has played less than 30 minutes per game; Wembanyama averages 29.3. The discourse around the award often focuses on games played because of the eligibility requirement, but what about minutes played?
No one's doubting Wembanyama's impact in those minutes - he has the league's best net rating at 17.3. The Spurs superstar is one of the most powerful defenders of all time, and his gravity creates continual offensive opportunities for himself and others. Still, let's not pretend like Wembanyama is the lone reason the Spurs jumped from missing the playoffs to the league's second-best record. San Antonio's trio of guards and quality spot-up players deserve credit for the Spurs' success as the only playoff team with eight players averaging double figures. Wembanyama also trails Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in key advanced metrics like VORP and win shares.
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 27.9 | 12.9 | 10.8 | 57.3 | 38.8 | 82.8 |
Jokic hasn't been the same since returning from a month-long absence in late January, averaging 25.9 points on 33% 3-point shooting in the last two months. He also isn't generating the same MVP buzz he received in the past few seasons, but that's likely unfounded. He'll become the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double over a full campaign multiple times and is on track to become the first player in league history to lead the NBA in rebounds and assists.
Although Gilgeous-Alexander has caught up, many of the advanced analytics - VORP, Box Plus/Minus, player impact estimate - still favor Jokic as the league's MVP.
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | 33.8 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 47.7 | 36.8 | 77.9 |
Doncic leads the NBA in scoring and just wrapped up the best month of his career, averaging 37.5 points and hitting 39.2% of his nearly 13 three-point attempts per game. Meanwhile, the Lakers' 15-2 record in March has propelled them into the 3-seed.
Given that LeBron James and Austin Reaves have each missed more than 20 games and Los Angeles has virtually no depth with the league's second-lowest scoring bench, Doncic has done more to carry his team than any other player. While Doncic's defense has improved since the All-Star break, the Lakers' abysmal defense in the season's first few months - some of which Doncic deserves blame for - is hard to ignore. But how much should defense weigh in the MVP discussion, considering Doncic has undoubtedly been the NBA's greatest offensive engine this campaign and spearheaded the Lakers' late surge?
| GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 31.6 | 4.4 | 6.5 | 55.3 | 38.2 | 88.0 |
Although Wembanyama is campaigning like a presidential candidate, the MVP has long been decided. Gilgeous-Alexander was given a similar opportunity to present his case Monday, but he declined, insisting, "I'll let my game do the talking." It has, especially following a 47-point showing against the Pistons' second-best defense that same night.
The reigning MVP has led his team to consecutive 60-win seasons and, believe it or not, has significantly improved on last year's performance. Gilgeous-Alexander ranks second in the NBA in scoring, and his efficiency is up - particularly on off-the-dribble and step-back threes, the last tool he unlocked in his nearly flawless offensive arsenal. He's on pace to become the third player in 13 seasons of tracking data to shoot at least 50% on over 300 pull-up 2-pointers and 38% on at least 150 pull-up threes.
Gilgeous-Alexander's playmaking has reached new heights, particularly out of doubles and blitzes, and he's making coaches who throw varied coverages at him look foolish. He leads the league in clutch scoring, and his consistency earned him a spot in NBA history, scoring at least 20 points in a record-breaking 136 straight games.
Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more basketball coverage.
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