NBA awards 2026: Bontemps’ ballot for MVP, top rookie, every honor
After the NBA dominated Thursday that Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had efficiently challenged the 65-game rule for main postseason awards because it utilized to them this season, the league despatched its official ballots for 2025-26 honors.
That record consists of seven particular person end-of-season awards — Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and Clutch Player of the Year — together with three All-NBA groups, two All-Defense items and two All-Rookie squads.
As a kind of 100 voters, right here is my ballot, and the explanations behind every choice. (With a shoutout to ESPN’s Matt “Stats” Williams for the entire data to assist inform these selections.) All ballots are due by 3 p.m. ET Friday.
Jump to an award:
MVP | Defensive Player of the Year
Rookie of the Year | Coach of the Year
Sixth Man | Most Improved Player | Clutch
All-NBA teams | All-Defense | All-Rookie
Most Valuable Player
Just as he did in ESPN’s final MVP straw poll of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander sits atop my ballot, and he ought to grow to be the sixteenth multiple-time MVP in league historical past. His particular person brilliance, together with driving the Thunder to 64 wins whereas the crew fended off harm points and the Spurs down the stretch, stored him No. 1.
The largest debate was Jokic vs. Wembanyama for the second spot. Both have spectacular circumstances.
Jokic grew to become the primary participant to steer the NBA in rebounds and assists per sport and averaged a triple-double for a second consecutive season. Wembanyama, in the meantime, is the primary participant to common 25 factors, 10 rebounds and three blocks since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000, and the Spurs outscored their opponents by a staggering 17 factors per 100 possessions with Wembanyama on the courtroom.
Ultimately, I centered on “valuable” right here and used the minutes hole between the 2 as a tiebreaker. Jokic performed 2,265 in contrast with Wembanyama’s 1,866, a major sufficient distinction to tip the talk barely towards Jokic.
The NBA’s ruling simplified the ultimate two selections. Doncic led the league in factors per sport (33.5), 30-point video games (28) and 40-point video games (14) whereas holding the Lakers within the combine for a top-3 seed all season. Cunningham’s breakout powered Detroit to its greatest season in a technology.
Defensive Player of the Year
Wembanyama would’ve simply gained this award final season if a blood clot hadn’t ended his marketing campaign prematurely. That will not be a problem this yr after he reached the 65-game threshold within the second-to-last sport of the season.
Not solely did he lead the league in blocks, and in mixed steals and blocks, and plenty of different classes — he can also do issues by no means earlier than seen on an NBA courtroom. There’s an argument that Holmgren is true there with Wembanyama for this award, as the 2 of them completed both first or second in a number of defensive classes. Holmgren additionally anchored what was by far the league’s greatest protection in Oklahoma City. (San Antonio was third.)
But so long as Wembanyama is wholesome, this award will seemingly be his for fairly a while.
Though he won’t grow to be the award’s first five-time winner, Gobert was a straightforward selection for third. Minnesota was practically eight factors per 100 possessions worse with him off the courtroom, and the Wolves had been a number of proportion factors worse defending on the rim.
Coach of the Year
Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons
Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
This award can at all times go to considered one of a number of candidates, and this season’s race is not any exception. Ultimately, my ballot got here all the way down to Mazzulla, Bickerstaff, Johnson and first-year Phoenix Suns coach Jordan Ott.
Though Phoenix’s season far surpassed expectations after huge offseason modifications, the opposite coaches atop the record guided three of the 4 greatest groups within the league. And every is a deserving winner. Johnson led the younger Spurs to 62 wins and the West’s 2-seed only one season after the franchise missed the postseason. Bickerstaff has Detroit atop the East for the primary time in a technology and oversaw spectacular improvement and enchancment from Cunningham and the crew’s younger core.
My vote went to Mazzulla due to how the Celtics recovered after shedding a number of essential veteran gamers final summer time — Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday through commerce and Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free company — and realigned the roster round a brand new set of expertise. Jayson Tatum additionally missed a lot of the season whereas recovering from a proper Achilles tear. Tatum’s pretty seamless reintegration into Mazzulla’s lineups has been no small feat, both.
Rookie of the Year
This was a painful choice, one I’ve wrestled with for a number of weeks. I went with Flagg over his former Duke roommate (and no, not as a result of Knueppel struggled and was benched in Tuesday’s play-in sport towards the Miami Heat).
The uncooked statistical argument is in Knueppel’s favor, together with main the league in 3-point taking pictures this season, and he has had a exceptional rookie marketing campaign. However, Flagg led his crew in factors, rebounds, assists and steals, one thing not carried out by a rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85. Flagg recorded the primary 50-point sport by a teen and probably the most 40-point video games by a teen in NBA historical past. Both feats spotlight his all-around capacity and expertise.
The third spot has been locked in for months. Edgecombe has grow to be a direct slot in Philadelphia and a essential part on a playoff crew. He has earned the belief of coach Nick Nurse and is already beloved by his teammates.
Most Improved Player
This is a troublesome award to resolve every yr, partially as a result of the factors are so imprecise. My selection, by a slender margin, was Duren. I consider this award by means of the lens of gamers making a very powerful leaps of their careers: from good to nice.
Duren and Avdija did that this season. Both grew to become first-time All-Stars, they usually may additionally grow to be first-time All-NBA choices. Not surprisingly, each additionally had huge upticks of their particular person manufacturing. The edge goes to Duren, whose enchancment appeared extra surprising and who carried Detroit successfully down the stretch when Cunningham missed a couple of weeks after struggling a collapsed lung.
The closing spot on the ballot was between Alexander-Walker and Neemias Queta, who has blossomed into a high quality beginning middle for the Celtics. Queta’s enchancment was most likely extra drastic, given how little he had performed beforehand, however Alexander-Walker’s leap is nearer to the “good to great” improvement. He averaged 11.4 extra factors than final season, the biggest enhance within the NBA this season, and his taking pictures additionally improved from the sphere and the 3-point arc, a particularly troublesome mixture. That in the end gave him the sting over Queta.
Sixth Man of the Year
Jaquez will get the nod as a result of he was considered one of Miami’s most important offensive engines, thriving within the up-tempo system Heat coach Erik Spoelstra put in this season. Jaquez scored a career-high 15.4 factors per sport, was within the top 10 within the NBA in whole drives this season and scored probably the most bench factors within the league.
Mitchell is a worthy entrant and was amongst a number of choices on the Thunder — together with Alex Caruso, whose 1,020 minutes this season wasn’t sufficient for him to get the award in my thoughts. Mitchell had an impressive sophomore season for Oklahoma City and ought to be a giant issue within the crew’s title protection.
Shead is likely to be an out-of-the-box candidate, however he led the NBA in assists off the bench this season, and Toronto was 5.4 factors per 100 possessions higher with him on the courtroom.
Clutch Player of the Year
Gilgeous-Alexander gained this award and MVP, for my part, because of his clutch shotmaking in wins towards the Nuggets and Pistons final month. He averaged 6.5 factors within the clutch this season, probably the most by any participant since play-by-play monitoring knowledge started in 1997-98. Oklahoma City had one of the best plus/minus within the clutch (plus-92) within the league.
Cunningham’s Pistons had been 21-10 in clutch video games he performed on this season, and he was seventh in clutch factors whereas taking pictures 50% from the ground. Edwards, who is eligible for this award as a result of it would not fall below the 65-game rule, shot a blistering 56% within the clutch this season and was sixth in whole factors.
All-NBA
First crew
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama
Luka Doncic
Cade Cunningham
Doncic and Cunningham being eligible made later selections troublesome. (Also, although Doncic had a clear-cut case to win eligibility because of the start of his youngster in December, Cunningham’s victory, which centered on his uncommon harm, was stunning. As a end result, I’d anticipate this grievance course of to grow to be annual as gamers combat to get on the ballot.)
Second crew
Jaylen Brown
Kawhi Leonard
Jalen Brunson
Donovan Mitchell
Jalen Johnson
The second crew was fairly simple as a result of the primary 4 names had been all thought of for my first crew earlier than Doncic and Cunningham returned to eligibility. All had large seasons and had been no-brainer second-teamers.
But the talk for the ultimate spot was amongst Johnson, Holmgren and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. Holmgren’s two-way contributions are the anchor to his case, and Murray lastly put collectively a full season that mirrored his peak playoff performances, scoring 25 factors per sport on excessive effectivity.
But I selected Johnson, who carried a large load for Atlanta throughout a tumultuous season, which included the Trae Young commerce in January. Johnson is considered one of 5 gamers in NBA historical past to common at the very least 20 factors, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
The others: Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Jokic and Russell Westbrook.
Third crew
Chet Holmgren
Jamal Murray
Jalen Duren
Tyrese Maxey
Kevin Durant
Holmgren and Murray had been automated picks to top this record, and Duren obtained the nod for his two-way play and the way his partnership with Cunningham pushed Detroit to new heights this season. Maxey led the NBA in minutes for Philadelphia, and he powered the 76ers to a playoff berth whereas Joel Embiid and Paul George missed vital chunks. Maxey additionally helped alongside Edgecombe as his beginning backcourt mate.
That left one closing spot for three gamers: Durant, Avdija and Toronto Raptors ahead Scottie Barnes. Had Doncic and Cunningham not been eligible, it could’ve made this very straightforward.
Avdija was the primary to go. He battled a again harm the final couple of months within the season and completed with 66 video games performed and a pair of,199 minutes, falling properly behind Durant (78 and a pair of,840) and Barnes (80 and a pair of,681). When it is laborious to interrupt a tie, taking part in that rather more will be the sting, although Avdija has pushed Portland’s offense this season.
That leaves Durant, who had one more ridiculously environment friendly season, averaging 26 factors whereas threatening one other 50-40-90 season for Houston, and Barnes, who led Toronto in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks and is a two-way menace. But I could not get previous leaving Durant off the crew, so he claimed the ultimate spot.
All-Defense
First crew
Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Rudy Gobert
Derrick White
OG Anunoby
A couple of seasons in the past, the NBA modified its voting coverage for All-Defense groups, permitting voters to pick out any place, fairly than two backcourt and three frontcourt gamers. However, I attempt to hold the identical two backcourt/three frontcourt alignment for my first and second groups to reward defenders from throughout the sport.
The first three All-Defense spots had been straightforward, going to my three selections for DPOY, all of whom had been frontcourt gamers. That leaves two backcourt spots, for which I turned to White and Anunoby.
White, arguably one of the best shot-blocking guard of all time, had probably the most blocked photographs (98) by any participant 6-foot-4 or shorter since Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade in 2009. White was additionally first in factors allowed per direct drive because the ball handler defender, per Genius IQ, and is likely one of the smartest defenders within the league.
Anunoby, in the meantime, is a rangy wing with the power to protect anybody at nearly any place within the league. That form of versatility is a big cause the Knicks — regardless of taking part in Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns heavy minutes — had been a robust defensive crew this season.
Second crew
Bam Adebayo
Scottie Barnes
Neemias Queta
Ausar Thompson
Toumani Camara
Adebayo and Barnes are two of probably the most versatile defensive bigs within the league, and I went with Queta as my third huge man as a result of the Celtics are greater than eight factors per 100 possessions higher with him on the courtroom this season.
The competitors for the ultimate two guard spots, nevertheless, was intense, as Thompson, Camara, OKC’s Cason Wallace and San Antonio’s Stephon Castle all obtained robust consideration. Wallace led the league in whole steals and deflections, and his exercise is a big a part of OKC’s stellar protection. Castle’s on-ball protection is nearly as good as that of anybody within the league.
The edge, although, went to Thompson and Camara. Thompson is a much bigger and stronger model of Wallace, together with posting one of the best mark of any defender on ball handlers in direct picks this season, per Genius IQ, and main the league in steals per sport. Camara, in the meantime, drew a exceptional 106 offensive fouls this season — 40 greater than every other participant — along with being an impressive defensive participant.
All-Rookie
First crew
Cooper Flagg
Kon Knueppel
VJ Edgecombe
Cedric Coward
Dylan Harper
The first three names right here had been straightforward as a result of they came to visit from my ROY ballot. Though it was a disastrous season (partly by design, at the very least over the ultimate few months) in Memphis, Coward, the eleventh choose in final yr’s NBA draft, was a vibrant spot, averaging 13.6 factors.
Harper, in the meantime, might need been a Rookie of the Year contender if he had been drafted by a crew that might give him a much bigger position. But he nonetheless confirmed big-time flashes in San Antonio, and he may have a heck of a profession.
Second crew
Ace Bailey
Derik Queen
Collin Murray-Boyles
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Maxime Raynaud
I’ll make my annual declaration that there ought to be one All-Rookie crew. But this yr’s class did not make it troublesome to area a second. Bailey confirmed some flashes because the season went on, averaging over 17 factors over the ultimate 2½ months of the season. Queen displayed an intriguing mixture of contact and ability — at the very least on offense.
Murray-Boyles needed to play by means of a thumb harm for a bit of the season, however he has an opportunity to be an impressive long-term defensive associate with Barnes in Toronto. Kalkbrenner led rookies with 1.5 blocks per sport, and Raynaud averaged 17.3 factors and 9.2 rebounds for the Kings after the All-Star break to spherical out the squad.
