9 NBA MVP 2025 front-runners, ranked, plus 5 big names who didn’t make it

NBA MVP has become one of the most furiously debated awards in all of sports. The league’s eternal 82-game regular season leaves plenty of time for narratives to form, and candidates to rise and fall up the rankings. As we enter the 2024-2025 NBA season, a few MVP trends are starting to form.

The last six NBA MVP winners have been born outside of the United States. An MVP winner hasn’t been on the championship-winning team since Stephen Curry in 2015 with the Golden State Warriors. It’s easy to forget this is a regular season award, but playoff narratives from the season before often have a way of factoring in.

What makes the 2025 NBA MVP race so much fun is that there’s no overwhelming favorite entering the season. The candidate that rises to the top will have to drive high-level team success, put up incredible numbers, and — most importantly — stay healthy. Here are the players who can win MVP as we enter the new season.

NBA MVP long shots for 2025

9. Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns: Booker’s numbers last season — 27.1 points, 6.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds per game on impressive 61.1 percent true shooting — would have been good enough to factor into the MVP race most years, but instead he didn’t get a single top-5 vote, mostly because the Suns only finished No. 6 in the West. After getting swept out of the first round by Minnesota, the Suns brought in a veteran point guard in Tyus Jones who should make Booker’s life easier as a scorer. Booker has real momentum after playing a pivotal role during Team USA’s gold medal run at the 2024 Olympics, where he showed a more well-rounded game and increased his defensive intensity. If that carries over, the Suns could enjoy more team success this season, and push Booker into the MVP race.

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8. Ja Morant, G, Memphis Grizzlies: The last time we saw Ja Morant available for a full season, he was making the Grizzlies an elite team in the Western Conference. Memphis finished with the No. 2 seed in the West in both 2022 and 2023 before a calamity of errors — including Morant’s long suspension and then season-ending injury — pushed the team into the lottery last season. The Grizzlies look a bit different this year as Morant returns, but there’s no question he’s still their leading man. Now 25 years old, Morant will have every opportunity to prove he’s one of the best scorers and playmakers in the league … if he’s mature enough and durable enough to stay on the court. If the Grizzlies can regain their status as an elite regular season team, Morant is bound to figure into MVP talk.

If they get the No. 1 seed …

7. Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks: Brunson has gotten better every year of his NBA career, and if that trend continues into Year 7, he’ll have a real chance to earn MVP consideration. Brunson placed fifth on last season’s MVP ballot after averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game while playing huge minutes for the Knicks. New York should be even better this season after trading for Mikal Bridges to go along with a full season of OG Anunoby, but Brunson’s creation burden will still be enormous. Tom Thibodeau’s resolve to treat every game like a Game 7 can only help Brunson’s MVP case. It isn’t hard to imagine a scenario where this team is winning close to 60 games, Brunson is creating every opportunity, and he builds a serious case for the award.

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6. Anthony Edwards, G, Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves are much more than a one-man show, but there’s no question that Edwards became their leader last season. The 23-year-old figures to be an MVP candidate for the foreseeable future with nuclear athleticism and some of the league’s most impressive tough shot-making ability. Edwards still has plenty of room to grow in more subtle ways — he can start by improving the Wolves’ halfcourt offensive efficiency — but he’s going to have the wow plays that power MVP campaigns. Minnesota isn’t sneaking up on anyone this year, but Edwards seems just fine with having a target on his chest.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis almost feels underrated entering the season after missing the playoffs the last two years with injuries. When he’s at his best, Antetokounmpo is still the second or third best player in the world, and the most devastating two-way force in the league. His growth as a playmaker — he averaged a career-high 6.5 assists per game last year — gives him more counters to beat an opposing defense, and he’s still totally overwhelming when he attacks the rim. The Bucks face a ton of pressure to regain contender status this season, but they always know what they’re going to get from Giannis.

2025 NBA MVP favorites

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4. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers: Embiid seemed poise to win his second straight MVP last year until a knee injury knocked him out for most of the second half of the regular season. Now he has a new and improved supporting cast around him, headlined by the signing of Paul George this summer. Embiid should feel less pressure to carry the Sixers every night with George and Tyrese Maxey as elite co-stars, and that could negatively affect his MVP case. That’s totally fine: for Embiid, the playoffs are the only thing that matters, but he’s still bound to put up huge numbers if he can stay available for the regular season.

3. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets: It’s generally agreed upon at this point that Jokic is the best player in the world. He’s going to have to do more than ever to keep the Nuggets at the top of the West this season with the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the team more determined to rely on young players. As he turns 30 in February, Jokic remains in his physical prime and can boost a long track record of durability, ridiculous all-around production, and an ability to power team success. With three MVPs already under his belt and a surprising early playoff elimination last season, will voters really want to make him the sixth player in league history with at least four MVP trophies? For as great as Jokic is, don’t be surprised if the ballots want to go with someone new even if he is still performing at the highest level in the league.

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2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Oklahoma City Thunder: SGA’s MVP case is already easy to see: the Thunder are a heavy favorite to finish with the No. 1 seed in the West, and he’s going to be at the controls with an opportunity to put up massive numbers. Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP last year with an absurd combination of scoring, playmaking, and efficiency while also tying for the league-lead in steals. As his young co-stars continue to evolve and his supporting cast improves with the additions of Isaiah Hartensten and Alex Caruso, the Thunder are a very real championship front-runner, and Gilgeous-Alexander is perhaps the MVP favorite.

1. Luka Doncic, G, Dallas Mavericks: Doncic is a one-man army when it comes to producing efficient offense. He’s too big, too crafty, and too skilled to be contained by any individual matchup or any one form of defensive coverage. He has momentum coming off a Finals run that saw him slay every Western Conference opponent in front of him without being 100 percent healthy, and he has more shooting around him this year with the arrival of Klay Thompson. The only real question for Doncic’s MVP viability is if he’ll be in elite shape entering the season, or if he’ll need to ramp up for a couple months before the games really start to count ahead of the playoffs. Luka feels destined to win an MVP or two before his career is over, and this could be the year he does it.

5 big names who didn’t make the cut

LeBron James and Stephen Curry can still be as good as anyone in the world on any given night, but it’s hard to imagine them doing it consistently over an 82-game season this late into their careers. Anthony Davis just doesn’t seem durable enough to win this award despite playing 76 games last season, and even if he does the Lakers likely won’t be at the top of the conference. Victor Wembanyama will win an MVP soon, but not yet. Jayson Tatum would easily fit the ‘best player on the best team’ MVP formula, but it feels like he’ll never get full credit for Boston’s success because his teammates are too good.