Once again, it seems like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic will be the two players battling for the MVP award late in the 2025-26 NBA season. However, this year's MVP race is much more open than in years past, especially with the hot starts we have seen from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and Luka Doncic.
Even Cade Cunningham is beginning to draw a lot of attention when it comes to the MVP race with the Detroit Pistons leading the Eastern Conference at 11-2. So, can anyone else enter the race and possibly give SGA and Jokic a run for their money?
What about Stephen Curry?
The two-time MVP and only unanimous winner of the award in NBA history recently missed three straight games as a result of an illness that kept him in bed for a few days. Golden State struggled without its leader on the floor, and he truly is the identity of the Warriors' offense.
Upon returning from his illness on Tuesday, Curry only scored 11 points in a 126-102 blowout loss to Gilgeous-Alexander's Oklahoma City Thunder squad. That may not be an MVP-like performance for Curry, but it's what Steph did in his next two games that has suddenly drawn attention back to the Dubs.
Curry not only scored 46 points in a 125-120 fourth-quarter victory over Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, but he followed this performance up with a season-high 49 points with nine 3-pointers in a 109-108 NBA Cup win over the Spurs.
With this 49-point performance, Curry tied Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games (44 games) after turning 30 years old in NBA history. Steph also joined Jordan and LeBron James as the only players age 37 or older in NBA history to record back-to-back 40-point games.
On Friday against the Spurs, Curry knocked down nine 3-pointers in a game for the 47th time in his Hall-of-Fame career. He not only owns this record, but the next closest player to achieve this feat is Damian Lillard in only 14 games.
Even though we all know Curry is the best shooter of all time, he constantly reminds everyone why he is still the face of the NBA and why we can't write off the Warriors just yet. These types of heroic performances are what make Golden State fearful, and as long as Steph keeps playing at this type of level, he will continue to lurk in the NBA MVP rankings.
Still, this is a race between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, as everyone else continues to trail the two superstars who have accounted for four of the last five MVP awards.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #1
2025-26 season stats: 14 games, 32.6 points, 6.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 53.1 FG%, 37.3 3P%
Make it 86 straight games for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with at least 20 points, putting him closer to passing Wilt Chamberlain for the second most consecutive games with at least 20 points in NBA history, as Wilt did so in 92 straight games from 1963-64. The man SGA is ultimately chasing for the record is… well, it's Wilt with 126 consecutive 20-point games from 1961 to 1963.
The only reason this record was broken, for you basketball junkies out there, was because Chamberlain was ejected early in a game that took place in January 1963 after scoring just six points. Records say Chamberlain was ejected for going at the official and calling him out for his poor performance in the first quarter.
Who knows what actually happened, but what we do know is that Gilgeous-Alexander continues to elevate the Thunder to new heights coming off their championship. SGA has the Thunder at 13-1, and he is right with Giannis and Luka for leading the league in scoring. Right now, he is on track to win back-to-back MVP awards.
2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous ranking: #2
2025-26 season stats: 12 games, 28.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 67.2 FG%, 42.6 3P%
If Nikola Jokic keeps recording the numbers that he is, he won't only win his fourth MVP award, but he will have the Denver Nuggets in a great position to dethrone the Thunder and win another championship.
What Jokic is doing is not even seen in a video game, as his 55-point, 11-rebound, and six-assist performance in a 130-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers was unreal. Jokic has shot over 50 percent from 3-point range in five consecutive games, and he currently leads the league in rebounds and assists while averaging a triple-double.
No team in the league has come close to finding a solution to stop this guy, as he continues to prove that he is the best player of his generation.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Previous ranking: #3
2025-26 season stats: 12 games, 32.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, 63.0 FG%, 50.0 3P%
For Giannis Antetokounmpo to win the MVP award, the Milwaukee Bucks will need to help him out and win games. Unfortunately, since he is going up against Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic on two of the best teams in the league, team record matters a lot in the MVP race.
However, when you look at Giannis' numbers individually, they are god-like. Antetokounmpo and Doncic have been going back and forth for the league lead in scoring, but Giannis' efficiency stands out among the rest of the top five in the NBA MVP rankings.
This season, Giannis leads everyone in field goals made per game, as well as 2-point makes and 2-point shot attempts. Should his averages hold, this would be the fourth straight year in which Antetokounmpo has averaged at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
4. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
Previous ranking: #4
2025-26 season stats: 12 games, 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.6 blocks, 1.1 steals, 50.2 FG%, 34.5 3P%
The Spurs may have lost back-to-back games to the Warriors because of Stephen Curry's 95 total points in these two matchups, but Victor Wembanyama was fantastic. In his team's first loss to Golden State, Wemby recorded 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. In their NBA Cup game on Friday, the Spurs' big man had 26 points and 12 rebounds.
Wembanyama continues to elevate his game to new heights every week, and he has the Spurs very much in the conversation to contend at the top of the West standings this season. He currently leads the league with 43 blocks in 12 games. The next closest player is Alex Sarr with 28 blocks.
5. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #5
2025-26 season stats: 10 games, 34.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 46.9 FG%, 32.7 3P%
It will be very interesting to see what JJ Redick and the Los Angeles Lakers decide to do regarding having the offense run through Luka Doncic when LeBron James returns, which could realistically happen on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.
Redick definitely doesn't want to limit Doncic's minutes or touches, especially since he currently leads the league in scoring and has put the Lakers right behind the Thunder and Nuggets at 10-4 this season.
Doncic led the Lakers to a 119-95 beatdown of Giannis and the Bucks on Saturday, dropping 41 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in Milwaukee. This was already Doncic's fourth 40-point game of the season.
Just missing the cut
6. Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors [Unranked last week]
7. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons [Ranked No. 6 last week]
8. Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers [Ranked No. 7 last week]
9. Josh Giddey – Chicago Bulls [Ranked No. 8 last week]
10. Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets [Ranked No. 9 last week]
