The 2025/26 NBA season is now in full swing, providing fans with more of a picture of how the season will unfold. Most early-season rust has now been shaken off, and we are starting to see the teams that will likely be in contention for the NBA Championship in the late spring. Of course, a lot can change between now and then, but let’s just say we can make a good stab at guessing which teams will be framing the narrative across April, May and June.
Alongside team performances, we also have the business of the individual accolades, notably the NBA MVP race. Most players would probably trade the accolade for a Championship win with their team, but you can be sure that individual recognition matters to elite athletes in basketball just like others sports. Top players have egos, and they will always want to be recognized as the best.
The NBA MVP odds are now live online with major sportsbooks like DraftKings, and realistically, there are only three names in contention. Some, such as Cade Cunningham, Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson, could enter the race later in the season, but for now, these three contenders look like they are locked in a tight battle for season’s MVP:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
The reigning MVP and the favorite before the season began, SGA remains in the hot-seat this season. His Oklahoma City Thunder team is also the favorite to retain the NBA Championship won back in June. This is his 8th full season in the NBA, and he is clearly at the peak of his powers. Yet, it does not feel like the lock it was last season.
SGA remains elite in many departments, especially his superpower of change-of-pace shot creation. Yet, he does ruffle some fans’ feathers, especially in the way he draws fouls from defenders. That can sometimes filter through to the critics and experts’ opinions. He’s still the favorite, but it’s no foregone conclusion.
Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
The winner of the MVP award in three of the last four seasons, Jokic has a real chance of emulating LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain as a four-time winner. His odds put him real close to SGA, and the fact that many believe the Nuggets represent the biggest challenge to Oklahoma’s dominance in the Western Conference adds an extra layer of spice to this MVP battle.
Jokic has probably been the best player in the NBA so far this decade, with his consistent excellence making him a perennial candidate for the MVP award. A lot might depend on how the Nuggets challenge OKC over the coming months.
Luka Doncic – LA Lakers
Like his fellow Eastern European, Doncic has been one of the NBA’s standout stars in the 2020s. He did, however, dip a little last season, with some niggling injuries and a mid-season move to LA, meaning he could not get the consistency of performance he desired. Nevertheless, he has hit the ground running for the Lakers this season, and they are now breathing down the necks of the Nuggets and OKC.
There is a sense that he his becoming the star of his franchise, simultaneously complementing and preparing to replace LeBron James. The Lakers’ potential run to the NBA Finals may seem a little less likely than the other two teams on this list, but they feel like the momentum team. Doncic is the man most responsible for that momentum, and that’s the kind of thing that gets you an MVP award.
