Nov 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) warming up against the Utah Jazz before the game at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

NBA Execs Say Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic Headed for Another MVP

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Could Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic be headed for his fourth NBA MVP award?

It seems personnel around the league think that's the most likely outcome at the end of this season.

ESPN recently polled a pool of 20 NBA coaches, scouts, and executives around the league to sort out a few questions revolving around the offseason and season ahead.

Naturally, one of those questions centered around predicting who would wind up taking home the MVP award, and the favorite was none other than the Nuggets' own Nikola Jokic, followed closely by reigning Finals MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.

Here was the complete voting from league personnel:

Nikola Jokic: 7
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 5
Luka Doncic: 4
Victor Wembanyama: 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 1
Anthony Edwards: 1

The voting panned out to be a bit of a variety across a few different candidates. But, above anyone else was Jokic, taking the top spot, who came up just short of being a back-to-back MVP winner for the second time in his career just last season, but looks to have his eyes set on being in the lead for that hardware once again.

"[Jokic is] the best player, and they'll be better," said a West scout after picking Jokic as his MVP.

A logical reasoning to see Jokic wind up as an MVP front-runner for yet another year, and might end up as the perfect storm to see the Nuggets' big man become the sixth player in NBA history to win the award four times across their career, along with the likes of LeBron James (4), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (5), and Michael Jordan (6).

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Last season, Jokic finished the year averaging a staggering 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists, shooting 57.6% from the field and 41.7% from three. A seismic statline never before averaged in the history of the NBA, but came up just short to Gilgeous-Alexander as a result of the Thunder's dominating 68-win season.

That might mean Jokic's potential MVP case this coming season relies on the Nuggets taking that step to being a top-two or three seed in the West, and having that improved team success for the edge to really be gotten on Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder–– a team that, like Denver, could be just as good, if not better than they were last season for the year ahead.

Regardless, as long as both Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander stay healthy and hold to form, they'll likely be 1 and 1A in the MVP conversation once again this year along with a handful of talented contenders, making for another electric race to unfold come the end of the regular season.