2026 NBA Awards: My official ballot for MVP, Rookie of the Year and other honors
In all likelihood, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will soon win his second consecutive MVP award, but I didn’t vote for him. Not this time.
Gilgeous-Alexander got my vote last season and sat atop my short list most of this season. In the final weeks of the regular season, my mind was open to the possibility of picking San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, but something unexpected happened in the final days and hours before I submitted my ballot.
As I dug deeper and deeper into my selection process, which involves numerous hours of research, analysis and conversations with trusted voices inside and outside of NBA circles, my decision became clear: Nikola Jokic.
Already a three-time MVP, Jokic had another historic season. He averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists while leading the Denver Nuggets to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and the fifth-best record in the NBA. He averaged a triple-double for the second year in a row while becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander will be a worthy choice if he wins the award. I could say the same about Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel, although my vote for Rookie of the Year went to Cooper Flagg, who had a better all-around season as a rising two-way star. I can also point to the All-Rookie Team, where I chose Sacramento Kings second-round draft pick Maxime Raynaud as a First Team selection based on his scoring, rebounding and efficiency while most voters will probably place him on the Second Team.
Serving on a worldwide panel of 100 media members who vote for these awards is a tremendous honor and an enormous responsibility. Picking one player over another can be extremely difficult, but we all have to make our choices.
Here’s how I voted.
Most Valuable Player
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3. Victor Wembanyama
4. Luka Doncic
5. Jaylen Brown
Jokic put up 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game, averaging a triple-double for the second year in a row while becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game. Among the three finalists, Jokic had the highest player efficiency rating (PER), box plus-minus (BPM) and value over replacement player (VORP). The Nuggets, who had a +5.2 point differential, probably wouldn’t have won 40 games without him.
Rookie of the Year
1. Kon Knueppel
2. Cooper Flagg
3. VJ Edgecombe
Flagg mounted a historic rookie campaign after coming out of Duke as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The 19-year-old forward averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks, topping Knueppel in every category. Flagg became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals, and the first teenager to score 50 points in an NBA game.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Victor Wembanyama
2. Chet Holmgren
3. Rudy Gobert
Wembanyama is 7-foot-5 with an 8-foot wingspan and a 9-7 standing reach, but in some ways his unprecedented defensive impact is immeasurable. It’s easy to see that Wembanyama led the league with 3.1 blocks per game while Holmgren finished a distant second with 1.9. What’s harder to quantify is the number of shots Wembanyama alters and prevents given his size, length and ability to close out on perimeter shooters.
Sixth Man of the Year
1. Jaime Jaquez Jr.
2. Keldon Johnson
3. Ajay Mitchell
Jaquez led all qualified backups in bench scoring at 15.4 points per game while also averaging 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He became the third player in NBA history to average at least 14 points, four rebounds and four assists on 55% true shooting while starting fewer than 30 games, joining Sixth Man of the Year award winners Manu Ginobili (2008) and Tyler Herro (2022).
Clutch Player of the Year
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2. Jamal Murray
3. Tyrese Maxey
Gilgeous-Alexander has established himself as one of the most lethal closers in the game. The reigning MVP led the league with 175 clutch points this season while shooting 51% in clutch situations, defined as games that are within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. He ranks fourth in the NBA with 9.0 free-throw attempts per game, another big factor in close contests.
Most Improved Player
1. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
2. Deni Avdija
3. Jalen Duren
Coach of the Year
1. Joe Mazzulla
2. J.B. Bickerstaff
3. Mitch Johnson
Mazzulla thinks this is a “stupid award,” but he may very well end up winning it. Mazzulla led the Celtics to a 52-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference despite the absence of Jayson Tatum, who missed 66 games due to a torn Achilles. Now that Tatum is back, the Celtics have a chance to return to the NBA Finals after winning the championship in 2024.
All-NBA
First Team
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3. Victor Wembanyama
4. Luka Doncic
5. Jaylen Brown
Second Team
1. Cade Cunningham
2. Kawhi Leonard
3. Donovan Mitchell
4. Kevin Durant
5. Jalen Johnson
Third Team
1. Jamal Murray
2. Tyrese Maxey
3. Jalen Brunson
4. Jalen Duren
5. Chet Holmgren
All-Defensive Team
First Team
1. Victor Wembanyama
2. Chet Holmgren
3. Rudy Gobert
4. Scottie Barnes
5. Derrick White
Second Team
1. Bam Adebayo
2. Ausar Thompson
3. Amen Thompson
4. Cason Wallace
5. Dyson Daniels
All-Rookie Team
First Team
1. Cooper Flagg
2. Kon Knueppel
3. VJ Edgecombe
4. Dylan Harper
5. Maxime Raynaud
Second Team
1. Cedric Coward
2. Derik Queen
3. Ace Bailey
4. Jeremiah Fears
5. Collin Murray-Boyles
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 1:05 PM.
