These 5 Players Could Stand in the Way of SGA Winning Back-to-Back MVPs

An MVP award was only the first part of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's magical run to cap of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The Thunder's superstar won Western Conference MVP and NBA Finals MVP while leading Oklahoma City to the franchise's first title. Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP honor came after the 27-year-old finished in the top five of the award's voting the past two years, including a runner up finish in 2024.

SGA's 2024-25 averages of 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, five rebounds, 1.7 steals and a block per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, were enough to finally win the Kentucky product the Michael Jordan Trophy.

Still in what should be the prime of his career, Gilgeous-Alexander will have the chance to win another MVP in 2025-26, especially with the Thunder expected to be one of the best teams in the NBA again.

OKC's star will have to beat out a few other talented players around the league, though, to win the award again. Here are a few players that could challenge Gilgeous-Alexander for the MVP in 2025-26.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

During his 12th NBA season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60.1% from the field.

The Bucks' star finished third in MVP voting last year, and with a few roster changes in Milwaukee over the offseason, the 2019 and 2020 MVP could be forced to score even more in 2025-26.

Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

After being traded to the Lakers in the middle of the 2024-25 campagin, Doncic has had a full offseason to gel with his Los Angeles teammates.

Last year, the 26-year-old averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc.

Doncic is reportedly in better shape heading into the 2025-26 season, and without much depth in Los Angeles, the star guard will have to put up big numbers for the Lakers to be true contenders.

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Entering his sixth NBA season, the 24-year-old has carried his team to the Western Conference Finals each of the past two seasons.

In 2024-25, Edwards averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 44.7% from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc on more than 10 attempts per game.

If Edwards can take another step forward in 2025-26, he will certainly be in the running for MVP.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Jokic seems like an obvious pick for this list.

The Nuggets' star has won three of the past five MVP awards, and finished as the runner-up both times he didn't win the Michael Jordan Trophy, including last season.

After averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 57.6% from the floor and 41.7% from deep, there is no reason to expect Jokic's stats to significantly decrease in 2025-26.

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Wembanyama may be a stretch for the MVP race, but if the Spurs exceed expectations, the third-year star will likely be a significant piece of that success.

During the 2024-25 season, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.8 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.

If the 21-year-old improves heading into the 2025-26 campaign and San Antonio is fighting for a playoff spot, Wembanyama could factor into the MVP race.