2026 NBA Awards Predictions: SGA, Wemby, Jokic in Race to Win MVP

The defensive player of the year was clearly Wembanyama, but several players could make a claim to most improved.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder reacts after a play against the Utah Jazz at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on April 5, 2026. Joshua Gateley/Getty Images

The NBA postseason has arrived, and the marathon of the playoffs will run through the Finals in mid-June. It’s during this time that the league will announce the finalists for its regular season awards, then the recipients during a stretch from late April through mid-May. That gives us time to speculate, banter, and predict the winners. Here are the projections.

MVP: Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Thunder

It’s basically a three-man race among SGA, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama. But the reigning MVP gets the edge as he’s on the best team of the three, which matters to voters. Gilgeous-Alexander set a new career high in player efficiency rating (30.8) thanks to a blistering 55.3 field-goal percentage. That ranked 12th in the NBA and first among any non-power forward or center. SGA also contributed to his team winning unlike any player over the last half-century. Per Basketball-reference.com, SGA’s win shares per 48 minutes (.3231) were the fourth-highest in NBA history and the highest since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971-72.

Runner-up: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

This award is the biggest runaway with Wemby leading the league in blocks (197) even though he ranked just 103rd in minutes played (1,866). His impact allowed San Antonio to rank third in defensive rating and force the fourth-lowest field-goal percentage. Wembanyama also didn’t allow his shot blocking prowess to take away from his responsibilities on the boards as he led the NBA in defensive rebound percentage.