The NBA MVP award is the most prestigious individual accomplishment a player can earn in basketball, and it dates back all the way to the 1955-56 season. The NBA Cup MVP has only been in existence for two years, but it is quickly becoming coveted hardware. While the championship team only plays seven in-season tournament games, meaning unexpected names could win the MVP, so far, only legends have taken home the trophy. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only two NBA Cup MVPs thus far.
Group play is over for this year's NBA Cup, and the knockout stage will start Dec. 9. So, check out the gallery to see who the frontrunners to win the 2025 NBA Cup MVP are.
5. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
More on another member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but Austin Reaves has been one of the pleasant surprises of the NBA season thus far, and that includes during NBA Cup games. Everybody knew that Reaves was good coming into the year, but he has taken the next step to become a true star.
In NBA Cup games, Reaves has averaged 30.3 points per game, which ranks 12th in the entire league. LeBron James has missed the majority of this season with sciatica, but Reaves has stepped up to the point where the Lakers are exceeding expectations. Reaves already has an NBA Cup championship to his name, and he could very well add the tournament's MVP to his collection.
4. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
The Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal trio never worked out for the Phoenix Suns, and the team let go of the latter two in the offseason. Phoenix was expected to take a large step backwards this season, but they've been better than expected, largely because of the brilliance of Booker.
The player who is arguably the best shooting guard in the NBA has carried the Suns to the knockout stage by scoring from all three levels on offense and carrying a big burden as a playmaker. Collin Gillespie deserves praise as one of the best NBA Cup players this year, too. The Booker-Gillespie backcourt has been making waves all year and could make a deep run going forward.
3. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson only played three group play games, but he can make up for lost time if he continues his level of play in the knockout stage. In three games, Brunson scored 33 points per game and had five assists on average to boot. Brunson is the New York Knicks' floor general.
He has great awareness, body control, and IQ, and those are big reasons why his Knicks are in the knockout stage. The Eastern Conference is wide open this year, with injuries holding players like Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton out. Brunson has a chance to make a statement during the NBA Cup that the Knicks are ready to make a run come playoff time.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
The defending NBA MVP is certainly in the running to win the NBA Cup MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is somehow even better than he was last year. His 34.5 points per game are the fourth most in NBA Cup games this year. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten off to one of the best starts in NBA history.
They are 22-1, and although their lone loss on the season happened to come in an NBA Cup game, they still did enough to get into the knockout stage. The Thunder look unbeatable, and nobody would be surprised if they won yet another championship and if Gilgeous-Alexander won yet another MVP trophy, this time in NBA Cup fashion.
1. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
With both Reaves and Luka Doncic on this list, the Lakers have a great chance of winning their second NBA Cup and having a player take home the MVP yet again. Since being traded to the Lakers, Doncic has shared ball-handling duties with James, but he has been forced to take on a bigger role, reminiscent of his days with the Dallas Mavericks, during the extended time in which James has been sidelined this year.
With James back in the fold, the Lakers will have a great chance to win the NBA Cup. After all, they already have experience doing so. If Los Angeles is crowned as champions, Doncic has the numbers to justify earning MVP honors. His 36.5 points per game are the most among players who played all four NBA Cup games thus far.
