NBA Announces Finalists for Major Awards, MVP Race Heats Up

NEW YORK, April 20, 2025 — The NBA revealed its finalists for the seven major individual awards for the 2024-25 regular season during a live broadcast on Sunday night. Highlighting this year’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) race are Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jokic, a three-time MVP, is aiming to become just the third player in NBA history to win four MVP awards in five years. He is almost guaranteed to finish in the top two of voting for a fifth consecutive season—a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Larry Bird from 1981 to 1986. This season, Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists, joining the ranks of Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players to average a triple-double across a season.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game, significantly contributing to the Thunder’s franchise-record 68 wins, the most since the Golden State Warriors’ 73 victories in 2016. His dominance included multiple 50-point games and an impressive streak of 20-plus point games. Additionally, he was the top pick in the last two versions of ESPN’s MVP straw poll.

Antetokounmpo’s presence as a finalist is notable, as he seeks to add to his prestigious accolades. Having finished in the top four of MVP voting for seven straight seasons, including winning the award in 2019 and 2020, Giannis has solidified his status as a consistent top performer in the league.

One of the more intriguing races is for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Initially a lock for the award, Wembanyama was ruled ineligible after a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis sidelined him for the season. This opened the door for other strong contenders, including Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, and Jaden Ivey.

Mobley enjoyed a breakout season, becoming an All-Star for the first time while averaging 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. Green was instrumental in the Golden State Warriors’ push for playoff contention, marking his seventh consecutive season with at least one block and one steal per game. Also, Daniels led the league with 229 steals, establishing himself as a defensive powerhouse.

This season’s Most Improved Player candidates include center Ivica Zubac, point guard Cade Cunningham, and Daniels again, who rose to prominence after a trade to the Atlanta Hawks. Zubac set career highs in almost every statistical category, including points (16.8) and rebounds (12.6), while Cunningham averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds.

The Rookie of the Year finalists feature Risacher, Castle, and Wells. Risacher averaged 12.6 points per game, while Castle stood out with 14.7 points and 4.1 assists. Wells, a second-round pick, held a starting position for most of the season prior to his late-season injury.

In the Sixth Man of the Year category, Ty Jerome, Malik Beasley, and Payton Pritchard have been nominated. Jerome had a notable season with the Boston Celtics while averaging 14.3 points, and Beasley ranked among the league’s best in three-point shooting, finishing with a 41.6% success rate.

The Coach of the Year award has sparked discussions with finalists Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers), J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons), and Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets). Under Atkinson’s leadership, Cleveland achieved 64 wins and maintained the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while Bickerstaff led Detroit to a 300% increase in their win total from last season, an NBA first. Udoka turned the Rockets into a title contender, propelling them to the second seed in the competitive Western Conference.

The NBA plans to announce the winners for each award in the coming weeks, along with the selections for the All-NBA, All-Defense, and All-Rookie teams. This year’s awards season promises to be one of the most anticipated in recent memory as fans and analysts alike await the outcomes.