NBA Awards 2026: Bontemps’ selections for MVP, best rookie, and all accolades
Following the NBA’s announcement on Thursday that Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham successfully contested the 65-game requirement for significant postseason accolades, the league distributed its official ballots for the 2025-26 awards.
This compilation includes seven individual end-of-season honors: Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Clutch Player of the Year, in addition to three All-NBA teams, two All-Defense squads, and two All-Rookie teams.
As one of the 100 voters, I present my ballot along with the rationale for each selection. (Thanks to ESPN’s Matt “Stats” Williams for the valuable information that informed these decisions.) All ballots must be submitted by 3 p.m. ET on Friday.
Jump to an award:
MVP | Defensive Player of the Year
Rookie of the Year | Coach of the Year
Sixth Man | Most Improved Player | Clutch
All-NBA teams | All-Defense | All-Rookie
Most Valuable Player
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama
Luka Doncic
Cade Cunningham
As he did in ESPN’s final MVP straw poll of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander ranks first on my ballot, and he is poised to become the 16th player in league history to win multiple MVP awards. His exceptional performance, coupled with leading the Thunder to 64 victories while navigating injury challenges and competing against the Spurs late in the season, solidified his top position.
The primary discussion revolved around Jokic versus Wembanyama for the second position, with both presenting strong arguments.
Jokic became the first player to top the NBA in both rebounds and assists per game while averaging a triple-double for a second consecutive year. Wembanyama, on the other hand, is the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to average 25 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks, with the Spurs outscoring opponents by an impressive 17 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
In the end, I prioritized “valuable” in this context and used the difference in minutes played as a deciding factor. Jokic logged 2,265 minutes compared to Wembanyama’s 1,866, a substantial enough gap to slightly favor Jokic.
The NBA’s decision clarified the final two selections. Doncic led the league in points per game (33.5), 30-point games (28), and 40-point games (14), while keeping the Lakers competitive for a top-3 seed throughout the season. Cunningham’s emergence propelled Detroit to its best season in decades.
Defensive Player of the Year
Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Rudy Gobert
Wembanyama would have easily claimed this award last season had a blood clot not cut his campaign short. This year, he surpassed the 65-game threshold in the penultimate game of the season.
He not only led the league in blocks and combined steals and blocks but also showcased abilities not previously seen on an NBA court. Holmgren is a strong contender for this award as well, as both players ranked either first or second in multiple defensive metrics. Holmgren also anchored the league’s top defense in Oklahoma City. (San Antonio ranked third.)
As long as Wembanyama remains healthy, this award is likely to be his for the foreseeable future.
While he will not become the first player to win this award five times, Gobert was a clear choice for third. Minnesota’s defensive performance declined by nearly eight points per 100 possessions when he was off the court, and the Wolves struggled defensively at the rim without him.
Coach of the Year
Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons
Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
This award often has multiple candidates, and this season’s competition is no exception. Ultimately, my ballot came down to Mazzulla, Bickerstaff, Johnson, and Phoenix Suns first-year coach Jordan Ott.
Although Phoenix’s season exceeded expectations following significant offseason changes, the other coaches leading the top three teams in the league are also deserving of recognition. Johnson guided the young Spurs to 62 wins and the second seed in the West just one season after the franchise missed the playoffs. Bickerstaff has Detroit at the top of the East for the first time in decades, overseeing impressive growth from Cunningham and the team’s young core.
I cast my vote for Mazzulla due to how the Celtics rebounded after losing several key veteran players last summer — Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday via trade, and Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency — and restructured the roster around new talent. Jayson Tatum also missed a significant portion of the season while recovering from a right Achilles injury. Tatum’s smooth reintegration into Mazzulla’s rotations has been a noteworthy achievement as well.
Rookie of the Year
Cooper Flagg
Kon Knueppel
VJ Edgecombe
This was a challenging decision that I have contemplated for several weeks. I opted for Flagg over his former Duke teammate (and not solely because Knueppel faced difficulties and was benched in Tuesday’s play-in game against the Miami Heat).
The statistical argument favors Knueppel, who led the league in 3-point shooting this season and had an impressive rookie year. However, Flagg led his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, a feat not accomplished by a rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85. Flagg also recorded the first 50-point game by a teenager and the most 40-point games by a teen in NBA history, showcasing his all-around talent.
The third position has been secured for months. Edgecombe has seamlessly integrated into Philadelphia and has become a vital part of a playoff team. He has gained the trust of coach Nick Nurse and is already well-regarded by his teammates.
Most Improved Player
Jalen Duren
Deni Advija
Nickiel Alexander-Walker
This award is always challenging to determine, partly due to the ambiguous criteria. My selection, by a narrow margin, was Duren. I assess this award based on players making the most significant advancements in their careers: from good to great.
Duren and Avdija achieved that this season. Both became first-time All-Stars and could also earn All-NBA selections. Unsurprisingly, both experienced substantial increases in their individual performance. The edge goes to Duren, whose progress appeared more unexpected, and who effectively led Detroit during the stretch when Cunningham was sidelined for a few weeks due to a collapsed lung.
The final spot on the ballot was contested between Alexander-Walker and Neemias Queta, who has developed into a solid starting center for the Celtics. Queta’s improvement was likely more pronounced, given his limited playing time previously, but Alexander-Walker’s leap aligns more closely with the “good to great” transition. He averaged 11.4 more points than the previous season, the largest increase in the NBA this year, and his shooting improved from both the field and the 3-point line, which is notably challenging. This ultimately gave him the advantage over Queta.
Sixth Man of the Year
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Ajay Mitchell
Jamal Shead
Jaquez earns the recognition as he was one of Miami’s primary offensive contributors, thriving in the fast-paced system implemented by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra this season. Jaquez averaged a career-high 15.4 points per game, ranked in the top 10 in the NBA for total drives this season, and scored the most points off the bench in the league.
Mitchell is a deserving candidate and was among several options for the Thunder — including Alex Caruso, whose 1,020 minutes this season did not suffice for the award in my view. Mitchell had an impressive sophomore season for Oklahoma City and is expected to play a significant role in the team’s title defense.
Shead may be an unconventional choice, but he led the NBA in assists from the bench this season, and Toronto performed 5.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court.
Clutch Player of the Year
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Cade Cunningham
Anthony Edwards
Gilgeous-Alexander is my pick for this award and MVP, owing to his clutch shot-making in victories against the Nuggets and Pistons last month. He averaged 6.5 points in clutch situations this season, the highest by any player since play-by-play tracking began in 1997-98. Oklahoma City recorded the best plus-minus in clutch scenarios (plus-92) in the league.
Cunningham’s Pistons achieved a 21-10 record in clutch games he participated in this season, ranking seventh in clutch points while shooting 50% from the field. Edwards, eligible for this award as it does not fall under the 65-game rule, shot an impressive 56% in clutch situations this season and ranked sixth in total points.
All-NBA
First team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama
Luka Doncic
Cade Cunningham
Doncic and Cunningham’s eligibility complicated later selections. (Additionally, while Doncic had a strong case to win due to the birth of his child in December, Cunningham’s victory, which was based on his rare injury, was unexpected. Consequently, I anticipate this grievance process becoming an annual occurrence as players strive for ballot inclusion.)
Second team
Jaylen Brown
Kawhi Leonard
Jalen Brunson
Donovan Mitchell
Jalen Johnson
The second team was relatively straightforward, as the first four names were all considered for my first team before Doncic and Cunningham regained eligibility. All had outstanding seasons and were clear second-team selections.
However, the debate for the final spot involved Johnson, Holmgren, and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. Holmgren’s two-way contributions are central to his case, while Murray finally completed a full season that mirrored his peak playoff performances, averaging 25 points per game with high efficiency.
Ultimately, I selected Johnson, who bore a significant burden for Atlanta during a tumultuous season, which included the Trae Young trade in January. Johnson is one of five players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
The others: Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokic, and Russell Westbrook.
Third team
Chet Holmgren
Jamal Murray
Jalen Duren
Tyrese Maxey
Kevin Durant
Holmgren and Murray were automatic selections for this list, and Duren earned recognition for his two-way play and how his partnership with Cunningham elevated Detroit this season. Maxey led the NBA in minutes for Philadelphia and propelled the 76ers to a playoff spot while Joel Embiid and Paul George missed significant time. Maxey also supported Edgecombe as his starting backcourt partner.
This left one final spot for three players: Durant, Avdija, and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes. Had Doncic and Cunningham not been eligible, this decision would have been much simpler.
Avdija was the first to be excluded. He dealt with a back injury during the final months of the season and finished with 66 games played and 2,199 minutes, falling significantly behind Durant (78, 2,840) and Barnes (80, 2,681). When ties are difficult to break, playing significantly more can be the deciding factor, although Avdija has been instrumental in driving Portland’s offense this season.
This leaves Durant, who had another exceptionally efficient season, averaging 26 points while threatening another 50-40-90 season for Houston, and Barnes, who led Toronto in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, showcasing his two-way prowess. However, I could not justify leaving Durant off the team, so he secured the final spot.
All-Defense
First team
Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Rudy Gobert
Derrick White
OG Anunoby
A few seasons ago, the NBA revised its voting policy for All-Defense teams, allowing voters to select players regardless of position, rather than adhering to a two backcourt and three frontcourt format. Nevertheless, I maintain the same two backcourt/three frontcourt structure for my first and second teams to acknowledge defenders across the league.
The first three All-Defense selections were straightforward, going to my three choices for Defensive Player of the Year, all of whom are frontcourt players. This left two backcourt spots, which I filled with White and Anunoby.
White, arguably the best shot-blocking guard in history, recorded the most blocked shots (98) by any player 6-foot-4 or shorter since Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade in 2009. White also ranked first in points allowed per direct drive as the ball handler defender, according to Genius IQ, and is recognized as one of the smartest defenders in the league.
Anunoby, on the other hand, is a versatile wing capable of guarding virtually any position on the court. This versatility is a significant reason the Knicks — despite heavy minutes for Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — were a strong defensive team this season.
Second team
Bam Adebayo
Scottie Barnes
Neemias Queta
Ausar Thompson
Toumani Camara
Adebayo and Barnes are among the most versatile defensive big men in the league, and I selected Queta as my third big man because the Celtics performed over eight points per 100 possessions better with him on the court this season.
The competition for the final two guard spots was fierce, with Thompson, Camara, OKC’s Cason Wallace, and San Antonio’s Stephon Castle all receiving strong consideration. Wallace led the league in total steals and deflections, and his activity is a crucial part of OKC’s impressive defense. Castle’s on-ball defense is among the best in the league.
The advantage, however, went to Thompson and Camara. Thompson is a larger and stronger version of Wallace, posting the best mark of any defender against ball handlers in direct picks this season, according to Genius IQ, and leading the league in steals per game. Camara, meanwhile, drew an impressive 106 offensive fouls this season — 40 more than any other player — in addition to being an exceptional defensive player.
All-Rookie
First team
Cooper Flagg
Kon Knueppel
VJ Edgecombe
Cedric Coward
Dylan Harper
The first three names here were straightforward as they came from my Rookie of the Year ballot. Despite a challenging season (partly by design, especially in the final months) in Memphis, Coward, the 11th pick in last year’s NBA draft, was a bright spot, averaging 13.6 points.
Harper, meanwhile, might have been a Rookie of the Year contender had he been drafted by a team that could provide him with a larger role. Nevertheless, he still displayed significant potential in San Antonio and is expected to have a successful career.
Second team
Ace Bailey
Derik Queen
Collin Murray-Boyles
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Maxime Raynaud
I will reiterate my annual statement that there should be a single All-Rookie team. However, this year’s class did not make it difficult to assemble a second team. Bailey showed promise as the season progressed, averaging over 17 points during the final 2Β½ months. Queen exhibited an intriguing blend of touch and skill, particularly on offense.
Murray-Boyles had to contend with a thumb injury for part of the season, but he has the potential to become an outstanding long-term defensive partner with Barnes in Toronto. Kalkbrenner led rookies with 1.5 blocks per game, while Raynaud averaged 17.3 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Kings after the All-Star break, rounding out the team.
