With the NBA regular season behind us and the playoffs about a week away, it’s time to acknowledge the talent we were all witness to over the last 82 games.
Several players were just on a different level this campaign, and many of them could be going home with some hardware.
For some, it may be getting a second consecutive MVP award, and for others, it could be getting recognized as a once-in-a-generation defensive talent.
Here are the top three candidates for all major awards:
MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): The Hamilton, Ont., native has a very good chance to become the second Canadian and 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP awards. He guided the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best record in the league for the second straight season and was the best player on the court, no matter the matchup.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals, all while shooting a career-best 55.3 per cent from the field. He also broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old record for most consecutive 20-plus point games this season.
It appeared close to impossible that Gilgeous-Alexander would be able to top his first MVP season, but he may have done just that.
This season alone, the guard scored:
20-29 points - 25 times
30-39 points - 35 times
40-49 points - seven times
50-plus points - one time
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets): If Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t exist, Jokic would most likely already have four MVPs and be on his way to a fifth. When it comes to premier talent in the Association, Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander are definitely 1A and 1B.
The Denver Nuggets centre has joined Russell Westbrook as the second player ever to average a triple-double in multiple seasons. Jokic finished the year averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and a career-high 10.7 assists. The six-foot-11 Serbian had 34 triple-doubles in 2025-26 and reached 198 for his career, the second most all-time, only 11 behind Westbrook.
Jokic also became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists per game, continuing to redefine what a centre can be as arguably the NBA’s best playmaker.
Victor Wembanyama (Spurs): They don’t call Wembanyama The Alien for nothing. The Frenchman is one of the most dynamic players ever seen in NBA history, and he’s turned around a Spurs organization that was floundering for six years.
Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, one steal and 3.1 blocks this season. Both his points and rebounds per game averages are new career highs, and he pushed the Spurs to the No. 2 seed in the West.
The seven-foot-four phenom also shot over 50 per cent from the field (51.2) in a season for the first time, after never previously shooting above 47.6 per cent.
The 22-year-old finished the season better than practically anyone in the NBA. He scored 40-plus in three of his final five games and 34 in another as the Spurs went 4-1.
Defensive Player of the Year
Wembanyama (Spurs): Well, if Wembanyama doesn’t take home the MVP, he is practically guaranteed to become the Defensive Player of the Year. Nobody makes defence look as effortless as Wemby does.
He led the NBA in blocks with an absurd 3.1 per game and had 197 total, 44 more than Jay Huff of the Indiana Pacers. What’s crazier is that Huff played 18 more games than Wembanyama this season.
Wembanyama took a defence that ranked 25th in the NBA last season and guided them to the league's third-best defensive rating of 110.4 in 2025-26.
Scottie Barnes (Raptors): After five seasons in the NBA, it finally feels justifiable to say that Scottie Barnes is a star. He’s levelled up and anchored the Toronto Raptors defence.
Barnes averaged 2.8 stocks per game this season and had the second-most total in the NBA with 230, behind Wembanyama. He was also the only player in the Association to achieve over 100 blocks and 100 steals this campaign, with 116 blocks and 114 steals. The 24-year-old did this and led the Raptors to the fifth-best defence in the NBA.
Chet Holmgren (Thunder): Oklahoma City had the league’s best defensive rating in 2025-26, and a big part of that is due to Holmgren. The seven-foot-one big man averaged the third most blocks in the NBA with 1.9 per game, and opponents shot just 41 per cent from the field when guarded by Holmgren.
Holmgren himself had the best defensive rating (102.3) and the second-most defensive win shares (0.179).
Rookie of the Year
Cooper Flagg (Mavericks): Flagg ran away with the Rookie of the Year award over the last few weeks. In April, he averaged the sixth-most points per game (29.2) and became the first teenager to score 50-plus points in a game. The 19-year-old averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his first campaign in the league. He's the first rookie to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals since Michael Jordan in 1984-85.
Kon Knueppel (Hornets): In his first season, Knueppel showed that he is going to be one of the best three-point shooters of all time. He broke the record for most threes made in a season by a rookie (273) and also became the first rookie to lead the NBA in threes. Knueppel did all that while shooting 42.5 per cent from beyond the arc.
VJ Edgecombe (76ers): The Baylor product is an outstanding athlete who got the chance to play with multiple stars in his first NBA season. Edgecombe used that opportunity to grow his game and put together a great first campaign. He averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting better than expected with a 35.4 per cent clip from three.
Most Improved Player
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks): Canadian Alexander-Walker took a leap this season that nobody saw coming. He averaged 20.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists with 45.9/39.9/90.2 shooting splits. His previous career high was 11 points per game in 2021-22, and last season he averaged just 9.4 per game.
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers): Avdija was traded to the Blazers prior to 2024-25 and instantly levelled up. However, he reached an even higher level this season, averaging career highs in points (24.2) and assists (6.7). Avdija is a premier driver and averaged the third most free throws per contest (9.2) in the league.
Jalen Duren (Pistons): Duren has become an elite big man, and he held it down in the first-place Pistons frontcourt all season. The 22-year-old averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game and added 10.5 rebounds while making his first all-star game.
Sixth Man of the Year
Keldon Johnson (Spurs): It can be easy to become forgotten on a Spurs team that features so many studs, but Johnson’s efforts off the bench cannot be ignored. Johnson averaged 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 51.9 per cent from the field. He is also a very competent defender and knocked down 36.3 per cent of three-point attempts.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat): Miami had the fourth-highest scoring bench in the league this season, and a big part of that is Jaquez. The 25-year-old averaged 15.4 points, five rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 50.7 per cent from the field. Jaquez did all this despite being a below-average shooter because of his ability to attack the rim.
Reed Sheppard (Rockets): To put it simply, Sheppard can score and score a lot when he needs to. Sheppard averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists with 43/39.4/80.2 shooting splits. Those numbers may not jump out at you, but Sheppard is an offensive weapon who serves as a great shot creator and perfectly spaces out the floor.
