The NBA MVP picture has been largely dominated by two stars over the last few seasons: Nikola Jokić of the Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder. The pair account for five of the last six MVP awards, with Joel Embiid’s 2023 victory standing out as the one interruption to their shared dominance in this field. SGA and Jokić once again figure to be favorites in this year’s race—but will face fiercer competition than they’re used to.
The 2026–27 season is ripe for multiple new MVP candidates to burst onto the scene. There’s more high-end talent scattered around the league than ever. More than that, though, history points to a winner outside of OKC and Denver.
