Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić and Wembanyama named finalists for 2025-26 Kia NBA MVP

The NBA announced Sunday night that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama are the three finalists for the 2025-26 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award.

The league revealed the finalists as scheduled during its regular-season awards rollout at halftime of Detroit vs. Orlando Game 1 on Sunday. The NBA’s official Bluesky account posted the MVP finalists at 11:52 p.m. UTC. The award honors regular-season performance, not playoff results.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder star, is the reigning 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP and is back in the final three after another season as one of the league’s top offensive engines. He again helped lead Oklahoma City’s push near the top of the Western Conference, keeping himself firmly in the center of the MVP race.

Jokić, the Denver Nuggets center, is the most decorated player in this year’s finalist group. A three-time MVP, he turned in another historically notable season in 2025-26. Reporting and season leader pages indicate he led the NBA in both rebounds and assists per game, something no player had done before in league history.

Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs star, rounds out the field after a breakthrough season that further established him as one of the NBA’s top two-way players. He was also named one of the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year on the same awards night, underscoring the impact he made on both ends of the floor.

The three-player finalist format is standard for the NBA’s postseason awards rollout, which typically takes place during the playoffs after voting has closed. For readers looking for a quick snapshot of the field: Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning winner, Jokić is the accomplished former MVP with another landmark statistical season, and Wembanyama is the emerging young star.

The MVP is selected by a global panel of 100 media members — writers and broadcasters who cover the league — with ballots submitted before Sunday’s announcements, and the winner will be revealed later.