March 26, 2026, 5:28 p.m. ET
The race for NBA Most Valuable Player is down to the final 10 or so games of the season.
And it’s all but certain that the winner of the award will once again be an internationally-born player, which would mark eight consecutive seasons. The league’s 65-game eligibility rule for postseason awards came into focus once more after Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung injury forced him to miss extended time.
The National Basketball Players Association came out in defense of Cunningham and blasted the rule as a mechanism that was keeping elite players from consideration of these individual honors, which can have real impacts on future earnings; supermax deals are often tied to performance triggers.
Either way, here’s the latest iteration of the USA TODAY Sports NBA MVP rankings:
Even though Jayson Tatum made his return, his production is nowhere near previous levels as the Celtics continue to ease him back. That has maintained the pressure on Brown to carry Boston, and he has done just that. His 31 points in a 10-point victory March 25 over the defending-champion Thunder are a perfect indicator of the impact Brown has on his team. Over his last five, he’s averaging 32.6 points per game.
Still averaging a triple-double (27.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 10.8 assists per game), Jokić is having a monster year, though he can miss no more than one game the rest of the way to preserve his eligibility for individual awards. More importantly, the Nuggets have won seven of their last nine games and are hitting a stride as they push for seeding considerations in the Western Conference. Jokić is the catalyst that is sparking Denver’s recent stretch of success.
His scoring prowess is unmatched in the NBA right now. His 60-point explosion March 19 against the Heat will draw the most attention, but he has been averaging 40.6 points per game over his last eight. More importantly, the Lakers have been stellar as of late and have toppled some top teams in the process. Defense continues to be the big knock on Dončić, but he has settled completely in Los Angeles as his takeover of the franchise continues.
Since the start of February, no team has been hotter than the Spurs. Not surprisingly, it’s Wembanyama who has been carrying San Antonio. He may be the most impactful player in recent history — on both ends of the floor — and, the scary thing for the rest of the league, is that he’s only improving. This has been the most efficient and effective stretch of Wembanyama’s career, and he’s also playing with more confidence and swagger. Look no further than his poster dunk March 25 over Grizzlies forward GG Jackson. Wembanyama has been tremendous, but the gap to make up may simply be too large.
It appeared, a few weeks ago, that Gilgeous-Alexander had this award all but won. Though the margin may not be as robust, that still seems likely. Some fans may not favor the way Gilgeous-Alexander plays, but his consistency is tough to overcome. Even as Jalen Williams has returned for the Thunder, it’s clear this is Gilgeous-Alexander’s operation and his 31.5 points per game rank second only to Dončić’s total. Gilgeous-Alexander would join Nikola Jokić (2021-22) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20) as the only players to repeat as MVP in the last decade.