Final NBA Award Predictions (2026)

Joel Piton
4 hours ago
6 min read

by Joel Piton

Sportz Nation - 4/17/2026

The 2025-26 NBA season has been a hard one to predict. From breakout campaigns and MVP-level dominance to injury battles and late-season pushes to meet eligibility requirements, this year’s award races have been filled with drama at every turn. In a season defined by injuries, recovery, controversy, and nonstop debate, narrowing down the winners is no easy task. Some picks feel like clear favorites, others could go a number of different ways, and that’s what's making this one of the most polarizing award conversations in recent memory. Still, with the regular season in the books and the final decisions looming, it’s time to make the call. Here are my final award predictions.

Rookie of the Year — Kon Knueppel (CHA)

2025-26 Stats: 18.5 PPG · 5.3 RPG · 3.4 APG · 47.5% FG

It's a tight race between Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg, maybe the closest race we've ever seen, and between two former collegiate teammates to boot. If there was ever a reason to bring back Co-Rookie of the year, it would be because of these two kids doing the unthinkable in their first years: but Knueppel edges it out. Not only did he play virtually every single game this BA season, but he led the entire league in three pointers made which has never been done before by a rookie. He's the youngest player in history to reach 250 threes and joins Stephen Curry and Larry Bird as the only rookies to record 1,000+ points, 300+ rebounds, and 200+ assists while shooting over 40% from three-point range. Not bad company at all. Knueppel's impact has just been ridiculous and record breaking and I think the crown is his.

Sixth Man of the Year — Jaime Jaquez Jr. (MIA)

2025-26 Stats: 15.4 PPG · 5.0 RPG · 4.7 APG · 50.7% FG

Jaime Jaquez has been at times the premier offensive engine for the Heat, and off the bench none the less. He's leading the NBA in total points off the bench and he's doing it an exceptionally efficient rate. Following a subpar sophomore season, Jaquez has fully shaken off the rust and looks like a fully molded offensive threat. Perhaps the most noteworthy stat of his season: Jaquez finished 6th in the entire NBA in total drives. For a bench player to be in the same conversation as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luka Doncic in terms of rim pressure is virtually unheard of. He's fully become the Heat's "downhill" engine, capable of playing well above rim, utilizing his footwork and strength to create easy looks in the paint, or showcasing his jumper when the starters rest.

Most Improved Player — Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL)

2025-26 Stats: 20.8 PPG · 3.4 RPG · 3.7 APG · 45.9% FG

It's a tight race between Nickeil and his teammate, but I think if you look statistically at what Alexander-Walker has accomplished this season, it's his race to lose. Interestingly, he was a top Sixth Man of the Year candidate early on, but he performed so well that he transitioned into a full-time starter, which has now moved him into the frontrunner spot for Most Improved Player instead. He finished the regular season averaging 20.8 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 3.4 RPG. For a player who was a career 9-point scorer before this year, that is a historic jump. He was also at one point flirting with 50-40-90 efficiencies. Guys like Keldon Johnson and Naz Reid are stiff competition for the award as well but Alexander-Walker's defensive impact has been undeniable for Atlanta this season.

Defensive Player of the Year — Victor Wembanyama (SAS)

2025-26 Stats: 25.0 PPG · 11.5 RPG · 3.1 BPG · 51.2% FG

It's finally Wemby's race to lose. No more giving up the award to a veteran because you're a rookie. No more giving up the award due to blood clots and because a slightly less efficient player has a better team around him. This is pretty much a foregone conclusion. At just 22 years old, he is poised to become the youngest DPOY in NBA history, with betting odds sitting at a staggering 99% probability. He led the NBA in blocks for the third consecutive season with 3.1 a night. The Spurs’ defensive rating is 9.2 points better when he is on the floor—which is by far the best individual defensive impact in the league. Opponents frequently abort drives to the rim just by seeing his figure in the paint. How historic of a shot blocker is he? This season, he reached 500 career blocks in just his 143rd game. To put that in perspective, he hit that milestone faster than everyone in history except Manute Bol, David Robinson, and Mark Eaton. This one is a no brainer.

Most Valuable Player — Nikola Jokic (DEN)

2025-26 Stats: 27.7 PPG · 12.9 RPG · 10.7 APG · 56.9% FG

In what should be a lock, Jokic has somehow found a way to exceed his first three MVP caliber seasons, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both assists and rebounds. He led the league with 29 triple-doubles this year as well, and ridiculously enough, 19 of those were completed by the end of the third quarter. Jokic literally put on his Iron Man costume this year and played every single game after the All-Star break and his injuries to ensure he was in the running, and I think he may have just secured his fourth trophy, which would put him with the lite company of LeBron James, Kareem, Michael Jordan, Wilt, and Bill Russell. The Nuggets finished the season 54–28 (3rd in the West), but advanced metrics show a terrifying dependency. Denver’s net rating was +18.4 with Jokic on the floor and a staggering -11.2 when he sat. His impact in Denver is just undeniable.

Coach of the Year — Joe Mazzulla (BOS)

2025-26 Stats: 11.8 PPG · 3.4 RPG · 3.9 APG · 50.5% FG

Joe Mazzulla's impossible survival this season needs to be studied. While it's close battle between him and Bickerstaff, Mazzulla has the most compelling narrative because he took a team that was expected to have a "tank year" and turned them into a 56-win juggernaut. Under Mazzulla, the Celtics went 43–23 without their superstar in Jayson Tatum. You're reading that correctly: despite missing their best player for roughly 80% of the season, Boston finished as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. He maximized the abilities of a team with virtually no bench depth and molded Jaylen Brown into a premier first option. The Celtics lost staples Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis but it didn't matter. Boston finished Top 5 in Offensive Rating, Defensive Rating and Net Rating, proving that the Celtics' success is systemic rathe than run through any individual star.

Clutch Player of the Year — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

2025-26 Stats: 31.1 PPG · 4.3 RPG · 6.6 APG · 55.3% FG

Oklahoma fans will hate me for not seeing Shai as the MVP but the good news is that we get to put him somewhere. It's no secret that Shai comes alive in the third quarter, so much so that teams are usually well defeated by that point and he comes out of the game. But when the Thunder do need him in the fourth quarter, Shai always delivers. What comes to immediate memory is the Denver Dagger on March 10th, where SGA finished with 35 points and 15 assists (with zero turnovers). With the game tied in the final seconds against the defending-contender Nuggets, SGA hit a stepback three-pointer at the buzzer. There have been high pressure moments for the Thunder all year long, take your pick. I think Shai is an easy choice here.

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All-NBA 1st Team — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown
All-NBA 2nd Team — Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson
All-NBA 3rd Team — Jalen Johnson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Deni Avdija, Jamal Murray

All-Rookie 1st Team — Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen

All-Rookie 2nd Team — Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Maxime Raynaud, Will Riley, Cedric Coward

All-Defensive First Team — Victor Wembanyama, Ausar Thompson, OG Anunoby, Chet Holmgren, Scottie Barnes
All-Defensive Second Team — Derrick White, Bam Adebayo, Dyson Daniels, Rudy Gobert, Amen Thompson

That’s how I see the final award picture shaping up, but now it’s your turn. Which of these predictions do you think will age well, and where did I get it wrong? This season gave us no shortage of tough calls, so there’s definitely room for debate. Drop your thoughts on the award races, let me know who you think got snubbed, and tell me which teams and players you’ll be pulling for once the playoffs get underway.

The 2025-26 NBA season has been a wild ride, and playoffs are right around the corner 🚨 Can't keep up with the games? Be sure to stay tuned into Sportz Nation for your sports updates on all things basketball.

Thanks for reading!

-Joel Piton

(@jpiton7)