Kia MVP Ladder: 10 contenders to watch during 2026-27 season

The Association: SGA chasing 3rd NBA MVP

NBA TV previews Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's quest for a third straight Kia NBA MVP.

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Before you can win MVP, you most certainly need to earn a spot on the MVP starting line.

This is a safe assumption, because this cherished award rarely, if ever, falls into the hands of a surprise winner. There’s a beauty to that, to how the qualifications are steep, to how players must (and should) build toward consideration for the award, a process that takes years.

There are exceptions: Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld won as rookies, and Derrick Rose grabbed the trophy at the age of 22 years and seven months. That said, well-established stars have the best odds.

Therefore … who’s standing at the starting line as the 2026-27 season approaches?

There’s a three-time MVP winner and a pair of back-to-back winners on this MVP Ladder Watchlist. There are also scoring leaders, All-NBA first-teamers, and All-Stars. Everyone brings a convincing body of work, which means the competition for MVP, once again, should be dramatic, maybe right up until the final month.

Here are 10 preseason candidates for the league’s most coveted individual award, listed alphabetically on the final day of the preseason. The first official Kia MVP Ladder with player rankings will debut on Fri., Nov. 6.

Giannis Antetokounmpo | Miami Heat

His case

: The two-time MVP has always been a popular candidate. Following his back-to-back wins, Giannis finished in the top four among MVP voting in each of the next five seasons. Basically, if Giannis is healthy, he’s prominently in the picture; he has made seven All-NBA first teams.

Here in his first season with a new team, Giannis might be extra frisky and anxious to make a statement. He’s a walking double-double, a favorite for the scoring and rebounding titles, and a tremendous defender. If Miami flirts with a top-five finish in the East, Giannis will be in the MVP mix.

Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks

: The reigning NBA Finals MVP will enter the season with more momentum than anyone, given his solid play last June in winning the championship. In doing so, Brunson elevated himself among the top players in the game and seemingly is only getting better.

If Brunson finishes top-five in scoring and the Knicks grab the top seed in the East — a pair of reachable goals — he’ll undoubtedly give himself a very good chance to be in the conversation.

Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons

: Being the best player on the team with the league’s best record is always a no-brainer candidate for MVP, and Cunningham has the chance to be that in 2026-27. The Pistons once again should compete for most wins in the East, if not the NBA, and Cunningham is the core of that club.

There’s a sense Cunningham has more to give and can top last season’s production, which was a breakout for him; he finished fifth in the MVP voting. Only a handful of players can make their teammates better like Cade, one of the elite true point guards.

Luka Dončić | Los Angeles Lakers

: His current situation is looking much like it did during his time in Dallas, where Luka was the clear alpha dog and carried the club. He’s the favorite to capture the

scoring title

, which he has won two of the last three seasons, will likely rank among the top in assists and should be among the leaders among guards in rebounds.

Luka may receive some sentimentality from voters because he has never won the award. He’ll most certainly have the stats and the clutch moments to legitimize his candidacy as the next MVP. Will he have enough wins? That’s the question.

Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves

: Edwards really doesn’t need anyone to help him get the award, but in a sense, the presence of LaMelo Ball does exactly that. With Ball around to assume the ball handling, Ant will be unleashed. Rather than constantly needing to create for his teammates, as he did in the past when the Wolves’ point guard situation was weak, Ant has the freedom to roam and be a finisher.

This will likely create an uptick in his points and give him a shot at the scoring title; he has averaged 28 points the last two years without a quality point guard to set him up for buckets. In addition, the Wolves are among the top teams heading into the season and could win 55 or so games, if all goes well, which will reflect well on his MVP chances.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder

: Can he win three straight MVPs? Absolutely. Shai remains in his prime, tends to maintain a high level of consistency and efficiency (31 points on 53% shooting over the last four seasons), and the Thunder are equipped to once again win 55-plus games. That formula worked well the last two seasons.

But what about voter fatigue? That’s somewhat of a myth; if Shai brings the goods, he most certainly will be rewarded. But it all depends on the competition for MVP, which will probably be stiffer than what he saw the last two years.

Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets

: If he wins or finishes runner-up in the MVP voting, he’ll be the first player in NBA history to finish in the top two for seven straight seasons. That amazing consistency alone is a compelling reason to make Joker the favorite for 2026-27. And until he pulled up lame two months into last season, Jokić held the top spot on the 2026 MVP Ladder; his injury absence opened the door for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to assume the position and eventually win back-to-back MVPs.

There’s every reason to suspect Jokić hasn’t regressed, talent-wise, here at age 31. He’s the NBA leader in scoring, rebounds and assists in the 2020s and remains a triple-double ready to happen. His biggest challenge will be winning enough games to compete with Shai and Victor Wembanyama on that level and make wins a non-issue. If he pulls that off, don’t be surprised if Jokić grabs his fourth award.

Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers

: Mitchell is the top option for a team expected to challenge for the top seed in the East. That’s worthy of a top-10 MVP ranking, giving him the edge (for now) over Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers. As long as Mitchell is leading the Cavs in scoring, being a presence in the clutch and keeping Cleveland among the top teams in the league, he’ll keep a seat at the table. He’s averaging 26 points in his four seasons in Cleveland and the Cavs had 50-plus wins in three of them.

Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics

: The setup seems ripe for Tatum. He’s flying solo, with Jaylen Brown in Philly, which means he’ll get plenty of touches. He’ll be on a mission to show that he’s fully mended here in his first full season after Achilles surgery and can carry a team. And Paul George, the new shotgun rider next to Tatum, has already stated he’ll try to get Tatum in the MVP conversation.

There’s the matter of wins and whether the Celtics will crack 50 in a very competitive conference. Anyway, Tatum was a top-10 candidate two years ago and should make a triumphant return to the ladder.

Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs

: It appears to be not a matter of if Wemby will win an MVP, but when. He’s perhaps the most impactful two-way player in the game, capable of dictating the outcome at either end of the floor. He’ll be the strong favorite to block more shots than anyone, finish among the top rebounders and his offensive game has grown somewhat substantially since his rookie season. Also, the Spurs are positioned to win 55-60 games, if not more.

The only potential drawback is if the Spurs pinch his regular season minutes once again. If so, Wemby’s numbers won’t be as compelling as other leading MVP candidates. For example, he might not even be the top option offensively on his own team, only because the Spurs are deep.

All this said, there will be others knocking on the top 10 door.

Aside from Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (who averaged 28 points and 6.6 assists last year), there’s his new teammate Jaylen Brown (who finished 6th in last year’s MVP voting), Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, Kawhi Leonard of the Raptors, or maybe one of the old guard — Kevin Durant of the Rockets and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry.

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at

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