4. Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Cunningham, Brunson and Brown all have strong cases for the third spot in the rankings behind SGA and Luka
www.cbssports.comHere’s the latest on the NBA MVP race.
- Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have frequently topped recent MVP discussions, with several outlets listing them as frontrunners in late 2025 and into 2026. They’ve led their teams in key statistical categories and carried strong case for the award.[3][4]
- Contenders like Luka Dončić and Jaylen Brown have been seen in the mix as well, aided by elite scoring, playmaking, and impact on team success, according to season-long MVP ladders and power rankings from major outlets.[4][7][3]
- A number of analyses in early 2026 highlighted a tight race among a small group of top players, noting that injuries or late-season momentum could shift the order in the official vote.[7][3][4]
Illustration: MVP contenders' positioning has often been shown in weekly or monthly ladders, with Jokic, SGA, Dončić, and Brown hovering near the top across multiple updates.
If you’d like, I can pull the most recent single source (e.g., the latest Kia MVP Ladder entry) and summarize the current top five with brief stat context. I can also share a concise, up-to-date list of MVP contenders and their current team trajectory. Please tell me which format you prefer.