Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama finalists for 2 NBA awards
Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will hold the title of reigning NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP for at least two more months.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the odds-on favorite to win his second straight NBA MVP, and the top-seeded Thunder are the odds-on favorite to become the NBA’s first repeat champion since 2018.
The Thunder took one step closer to their goal by obliterating the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns 119-84 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday, and Gilgeous-Alexander drew one step closer to his as well.
The NBA announced the finalists for all of the league’s end-of-year awards.
The three finalists for MVP are Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio Spurs supernova big man Victor Wembanyama, and three-time MVP Denver Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic.
Gilgeous-Alexander is also a finalist for Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year alongside Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards and Nuggets All-Star guard Jamal Murray.
While Wembanyama is expected to miss out on MVP, he is the favorite to win his first Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a finalist alongside Thunder All-Star Chet Holmgren and Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson.
The finalists for Rookie of the Year are Dallas Mavericks’ 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel. The 76ers drafted Edgecombe third overall, and the Hornets drafted Knueppel fourth overall in last year’s draft.
Most Improved Player comes down to Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward Deni Avdija, and Pistons All-Star center Jalen Duren.
Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr., Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., and San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson are the finalists for Sixth Man of the Year, while Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson, and Boston’s Joe Mazzulla are the finalists for Coach of the Year.
The NBA confirmed that Defensive Player of the Year will be revealed on Monday, followed by Clutch Player of the Year on Tuesday, Sixth Man on Wednesday, the NBA Sportsmanship Award on Thursday, and Most Improved Player on Friday.
The other categories will be announced later in the postseason.
See the full list of finalists here, and the full NBA playoffs bracket here.
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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 6:10 PM.