As the NBA All-Star break inches closer, time is running out for anyone to catch Oklahoma City Thunder star and reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP rankings. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama suffered setbacks due to injury, and Nikola Jokic may not qualify for the award either.
However, one dark-horse candidate is making noise, and he just so happens to be Jokic's teammate. Is this finally the year Jamal Murray gets the love and respect he deserves?
The 28-year-old guard has never been named an All-Star, and even though he played an integral part in the Denver Nuggets' championship run in 2023, he has never received any type of honor or accolade. But since Jokic has been sidelined with his knee injury, Murray has carried the Nuggets to one of the best records in the NBA this season.
Along with Jokic being out, the Nuggets have been without Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson for prolonged periods through the first half of the season. Still, Denver is tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference, and Murray has been one of the league's best guards.
In 41 games, Murray has averaged 26.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the floor and 44.8 percent from 3-point range. All of these metrics are career highs for the nine-year veteran, and he is one of 11 different players to score at least 50 points in a game this year.
Jamal Murray was UNSTOPPABLE tonight against the Wizards 🔥
🔸40 points (15 in the 4th QTR)
🔸 6 assists
🔸2 blocks🔸15-of-24 FG
🔸5-of-8 3PT
🔸7-of-8 FT pic.twitter.com/Ydpmb1f345— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 18, 2026
If Jokic doesn't return to the court soon from his injury and becomes ineligible for the MVP award, all of the attention cast on him in Denver should immediately go to Murray, given the season he's put together.
Maybe Gilgeous-Alexander still has the edge over Murray and the rest of the field for this award, but this has been a statement season by Murray. With the way he's playing, perhaps he could even lead Denver to their second championship in the last four seasons several months from now.
Murray finds himself on the NBA MVP rankings for the first time this season, but everyone in the league continues to look up at Gilgeous-Alexander in the No. 1 spot.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #1
2025-26 season stats: 45 games, 32.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 55.9 FG%, 39.4 3P%
At this point, it will be hard for anyone to catch up to Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP rankings, especially if Jokic is ineligible to win the award.
As a result of back-to-back 40-point and 47-point performances this past week, Gilgeous-Alexander is closing in on Luka Doncic for the lead in this year's scoring race. Not to mention, SGA's streak of scoring 20 points in consecutive games is closing in on Wilt Chamberlain territory.
Make it 117 straight games in which the Thunder MVP has scored at least 20 points, putting him extremely close to Wilt's record of 126 consecutive games with at least 20 points. It seems very likely that Gilgeous-Alexander will be able to break this record in February.
2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets*
Previous ranking: #2
2025-26 season stats: 32 games, 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 60.5 FG%, 43.5 3P%
Time is running out for Jokic to get back on the court. After suffering a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise on Dec. 29 against the Miami Heat, the Nuggets' three-time NBA MVP has missed 14 straight games.
The good news is that the Nuggets have gone 9-5 in this stretch in large part thanks to Murray's leadership and MVP-like abilities. The bad news for Jokic is that he is only allowed to miss three more games to retain award eligibility.
Since he has already been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Pistons, pushing his magic number to two games. Will Jokic return to the court by the end of the week for the Nuggets? That will determine whether he can remain in the NBA MVP rankings.
3. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #4
2025-26 season stats: 36 games, 33.4 points, 8.7 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 46.7 FG%, 33.4 3P%
Luka Doncic continues to do Luka Doncic-like things for the Los Angeles Lakers, as he scored at least 32 points in all of the games he played this past week for Los Angeles. Doncic recorded two double-doubles and a triple-double as well, his fifth triple-double of the season.
The Lakers' star is now up to 26 games this season, scoring at least 30 points, trailing only Gilgeous-Alexander (32) for the most in the NBA.
As good as Luka has been, it's hard to envision him being able to pass Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of these rankings. Doncic will obviously jump to No. 2 should Jokic be ruled ineligible for awards and honors, but there is a wide gap between SGA and the rest of the field right now.
In order for Doncic to have any chance of winning the MVP, he will need to finish the season leading the league in scoring and put the Lakers in the 2-seed of the Western Conference at a minimum.
4. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics
Previous ranking: #3
2025-26 season stats: 42 games, 29.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 48.4 FG%, 36.2 3P%
Jaylen Brown has put together an incredibly respectable season for the Boston Celtics, and like Murray, he's proven to be a star in his own right and not some afterthought in the shadow of another All-NBA talent.
Whereas Murray has always been hidden behind Jokic's excellence, Brown never really got the credit he deserved because of Jayson Tatum's presence in Boston. With Tatum recovering from his Achilles injury, Brown has emerged as arguably the best two-way wing in the world.
In four games this past week, the Celtics' star averaged 24.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor. Those are MVP-like numbers for Brown, especially since he had two double-doubles and a triple-double in this span.
His 27-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound night against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 23 was Brown's second triple-double of the season, making him one of 15 different players to have multiple triple-doubles.
5. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
Previous ranking: #6
2025-26 season stats: 38 games, 25.4 points, 9.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 45.5 FG%, 32.7 3P%
By the end of the season, it would not be surprising if Cunningham is alongside SGA and Doncic as a finalist for the MVP award.
The Detroit Pistons find themselves securely at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and Cunningham is putting together a historic year in Detroit. Other than Isiah Thomas, it's hard to think of a guard in Pistons' history who has done what Cunningham has this year, and his resume continues to grow.
Only two players are averaging at least nine assists per game this year: Jokic and Cunningham. The Pistons' star is also helping his team be one of the better defensive units in the league with his 1.5 steals per game.
Cunningham plays like an All-Star on both ends of the court, and he currently ranks 19th in scoring. This will be another All-NBA season for Cunningham, and after finishing seventh in the MVP voting a season ago, he will firmly be inside the top five this year.
Just missing the cut
6.Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs [Ranked No. 5 last week]*
7. Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets [Unranked last week]
8. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves [Ranked No. 8 last week]
9. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks [Ranked No. 7 last week]
10. Scottie Barnes – Toronto Raptors [Unranked last week]
*Signals player is in danger of meeting 65-game minimum threshold for awards/accolades.
