NBA Mid-Season Awards 2026: Winners If The Season Ended Today
- Joel Piton
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
by Joel Piton
Sportz Nation - 2/17/2026
With All-Star Weekend in the rearview mirror and the playoff push looming, the NBA season has officially crossed the halfway mark. And while February is still quite far from June, we’ve seen enough basketball to start separating contenders from pretenders—and front-runners from the field.
Of course, plenty can change between now and spring. But if the season ended this very second, who would be walking away with the hardware? Here are our midseason award picks.
Sixth Man of the Year — Naz Reid (MIN)
This is Naz Reid’s domain. Coming off the bench is no longer a role for him—it’s a weapon every team wants. Reid can torch second units with his quick release from three, space the floor and create mismatches at nearly every frontcourt position.
While he’s more than capable of stepping into the starting lineup when Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle miss time, Minnesota has benefitted immensely from keeping his scoring punch in the second unit. He stabilizes the offense when the starters sit and can flip momentum within minutes of checking in. You also have to commend Naz's defensive growth this season. His rim protection and awareness has noticeably improved, making him more than just an offensive player. Jaime Jaquez Jr. has made a strong case in Miami, but right now, this feels like Naz Reid’s award to lose.
Clutch Player of the Year — Anthony Edwards (MIN)
If last night's All-Star Game reminded anyone of anything, it’s that Anthony Edwards has another gear he flips when the pressure is highest. His fourth-quarter efficiency has surged this season, and when Minnesota needs a bucket late, there’s no hesitation about who’s getting the ball. Edwards isn’t just willing to take the big shot—he expects to. His game-winner against Houston. The comeback dagger versus San Antonio after trailing by 18. Take your pick. The resume of late-game heroics continues to stack. What makes Edwards the "It Guy" league-wide is the volume and composure. In tight games, he looks shot-ready, not frantic. There are other players with strong clutch numbers this season. But right now, if you need one shot to save your season, Anthony Edwards is the guy to pick.
Most Improved Player of the Year — Deni Avdija (POR)
This race came down to two phenomenal candidates. Jalen Johnson has been sensational in Atlanta, flirting with triple-doubles on a nightly basis and looking every bit like the team's future with Trae gone. But Johnson was already trending upward before last season’s injury—this breakout, while impressive, wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Deni Avdija’s leap, on the other hand, has caught the entire league off guard. Averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists while carrying a play-in caliber Portland team, Avdija hasn’t just improved—he’s transformed. The efficiency is what makes it undeniable. He’s scoring at all three levels, making quicker reads, and dictating tempo in ways we simply hadn’t seen before.
Most importantly, his impact is tangible. Without Damian Lillard, Portland lacks a traditional safety net in the hands of a superstar. Avdija has stepped into that vacuum and kept the team competitive. It’s one thing to put up numbers. It’s another to be the reason your team isn’t bottoming out. Johnson has been outstanding. But in terms of leap, responsibility, and surprise factor, this award belongs to Deni Avdija right now.
Defensive Player of the Year — Victor Wembanyama (SAS)
If availability doesn’t become an issue, this isn’t a debate. Victor Wembanyama has warped the geometry of the floor on the defensive end. Any shot attempt inside the three-point line feels like a gamble when he’s there. His length, timing, and mobility allow him to contest plays most defenders wouldn’t even attempt—and he does it without fouling at an alarming rate. The numbers back it up. Multiple 5+ block performances. A season-high nine swats against New Orleans. He’s tied for the league lead in total blocks (106) alongside Jay Huff despite playing 15 fewer games.
And it’s not just blocks. He’s near the top of the leaderboard in stocks, rotates like a wing, protects the rim like a traditional center, and can switch onto guards without looking out of place. There simply isn’t another defender in the league with his combination of size and lateral mobility. The only thing that can stop this from becoming his award is games played. But if he clears the eligibility threshold, the Defensive Player of the Year trophy should already have his name engraved.
Coach of the Year — JB Bickerstaff (DET)
Named an All-Star game head coach, the league has already taken notice of J.B. Bickerstaff's prowess. Just two seasons removed from a 14–68 campaign under Monty Williams—the worst season in franchise history and one of the worst in modern NBA history—the Detroit Pistons now sit atop the Eastern Conference. With 40 wins and trailing only the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder league-wide, the turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. This isn’t just internal player development. It’s the remarkable transformation of a team's identity.
Bickerstaff has instilled defensive discipline, accountability, and structure into a young roster that looked directionless. The Pistons compete on every possession, defend with purpose, and close games with composure and this starts with coaching. Bickerstaff's twenty-plus years of experience have given Detroit something it lacked: stability. And in a season defined by winning, no coach has shifted a franchise’s trajectory more dramatically than J.B. Bickerstaff. Right now, this award feels like his to lose.
Rookie of the Year — Cooper Flagg (DAL)
For much of the season, this felt like Kon Knueppel’s award to lose. Knueppel has been everything advertised—and more. The Charlotte sharpshooter is climbing the rookie leaderboard in three-pointers made, drilling 43 percent from deep and thriving as a catch-and-shoot weapon defenses simply can’t ignore. As a first-year player, he’s already become the offensive tone-setter on a young roster, delivering exactly what was promised at duke, just at an even higher level. But over the past month, Cooper Flagg has shifted the conversation. With Dallas navigating injuries to Kyrie Irving and now losing Anthony Davis for good, Flagg has carried.
As the clear “Flaggship” of Dallas basketball, he’s taken on primary scoring duties, notching multiple 30-point outings and more importantly, he’s doing well on both ends. His defensive instincts, versatility, and effort have translated immediately to the pro level, giving him an all-around impact few rookies can match. Knueppel has been sensational. But when you factor in volume scoring, defensive value, and the weight of responsibility on a playoff-caliber roster, the edge right now goes to the No. 1 overall pick. For now, the Rookie of the Year trophy belongs to Cooper Flagg.
Most Valuable Player — Nikola Jokic (DEN)
Nikola Jokic can only afford to miss one more game this season. Averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, Jokic is once again coming up on a full-season's worth of triple-doubles—surreal stuff coming from a center. He controls the tempo, manufactures offense from the elbows, punishes double teams and continues to redefine what the position can be. And then there’s the history. Jokic is climbing toward Russell Westbrook on the all-time triple-double list. The only obstacle? Availability. Under the league’s 65-game rule, he has almost no margin for error. One more absence opens the door for the guard out in Oklahoma City to claim the award for a second straight season. That reality means every time he steps on the floor, there's pressure. But if Jokic stays healthy and maintains his current level of play—and history suggests he will—this becomes less of a debate and more of a formality.
Keep your guard up, February predictions have a way of aging quickly. One injury, one late-season surge, or even one missed game—and everything changes. Will these picks hold up when the regular season wraps up? Or will we look back at this list in a few months and be off the mark?
Which award do you disagree with most? And who’s poised to make a late push?
The sample size is strong—but it’s not final. The debates are far from over and we can't wait to see what happens next.
The 2025-26 NBA Season has been anything but predictable, and playoffs are soon to come 🚨 Can't keep up? Stay tuned to Sportz Nation for your sports updates on all things basketball.
Thanks for reading!
-Joel Piton
(@jpiton7)