Nikola Jokic is back. With his return, every player not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been pushed down the list. As Jokic got healthy, Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic have picked up injuries. Those injuries should not be severe enough to keep them out after the All-Star Break. All signs point to this being a historic finish to the 2025-26 MVP Race.
NBA MVP Tier 1: The MVP
No. 1 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 31.8 PPG/ 4.4 RPG/ 6.4 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 1
Gilgeous-Alexander built up too much of a cushion with Jokic out to lose his first-place spot. Gilgeous-Alexander is first in total points this season, while Jokic barely cracks the top-20. SGA picked up his first multiple-game injury, only playing three games in the last two weeks. In one of those three games, he outdueled Jokic head-to-head and scored 34 points in 33 minutes.
The Thunder are smartly using the All-Star break for Gilgeous-Alexander’s recovery, limiting the number of games missed. SGA should be back dominating before the next MVP Ladder.
No. 2 – Nikola Jokic, 28.8 PPG/ 12.2 RPG/ 10.7 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 2
Jokic returns and is immediately in the top tier. He came back early, only missing 16 games, allowing him to miss one more game this season. Jokic is already breaking records in his return. He passed Oscar Robertson for the second-most triple-doubles in a career. Jokic has four straight triple-doubles and continues to average one over the season. He also leads the NBA in both rebounds per game and assists per game.
Jokic will need to catch Gilgeous-Alexander while he is missing games for the Thunder.
NBA MVP Tier 2: MVP Finalists
No. 3 – Jaylen Brown, 29.4 PPG/ 6.9 RPG/ 4.7 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 3
Jaylen Brown is the first player not named Jokic or Gilgeous-Alexander to be above Luka Doncic on the MVP Ladder. Brown earned the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award for January, and should’ve received it in December as well. He has scored 24+ points in every game since the last ladder, including two 30-point triple-doubles.
Nobody believed the Celtics would be good enough for Jayson Tatum to return, and now he might be the second option when he does.
No. 4 – Luka Doncic, 32.8 PPG/ 7.8 RPG/ 8.6 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 4
Doncic drops down to fourth place and won’t have much time to regain third place before the next Ladder. Doncic earned Western Conference Player of the Month in January and seemed primed to build on his hot 2026 in February. He picked up a left hamstring strain, which will keep him out until after the All-Star Break. Doncic still put up a 37-point triple-double since the last ladder and will continue to put up ridiculous stat lines when he returns.
NBA MVP Tier 3: Tier 2.5
No. 5 – Victor Wembanyama, 24.4 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.7 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 4
Victor Wembanyama just scored 40 points in 26 minutes. He scored 25 points in his first seven minutes of the game, outscoring the Lakers until he got subbed out. Wembanyama has already passed Tim Duncan in 40-point games in Spurs history. He is also the best defender in the NBA, averaging the highest blocks per game. The Spurs are also No. 2 in the West.
Wemby is close to breaking into the next tier. He has to put together some more impressive stat lines that only he can achieve.
https://twitter.com/realapp/status/2021445125390598452?s=20
No. 6 – Cade Cunningham, 25.3 PPG/ 5.6 RPG/ 9.6 APG
Cade Cunningham has shown up in the biggest games this season. The Celtics and Knicks have tried to take the No. 1 seed from the Pistons, and Cunningham hasn’t let them. He isn’t just playing well against good teams, but he is the best player on the court. Since the last ladder, Cunningham has put up 29 points and 10 assists in a win against the Nuggets. He also scored 33 points along with nine rebounds and seven assists in a win against the hottest team in the NBA, the Hornets.
NBA MVP Tier 4: Elite Scorers
No. 7 – Anthony Edwards, 29.6 PPG/ 5.3 RPG/ 3.8 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 6
Anthony Edwards continues to lead the tier of elite scorers. He is the clutchest scorer in the NBA, but he’s also secretly third in points per game behind Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander. He has scored 30 points in five of the seven games since the last ladder. Edwards seems to be the front-runner for Western Conference Player of the Month, with Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander missing games.
No. 8 – Tyrese Maxey, 28.8 PPG/ 4.2 RPG/ 6.8 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 8
Tyrese Maxey isn’t as consistent as Edwards, but it has been more up than down in 2026. He had a 40-point performance in his first game since the last ladder. Over the past four games, he has constantly raised his scoring. 26 points to 29 to 30 to 32 right before the All-Star Break. Maxey is probably capped in this tier with Joel Embiid healthy. Maxey has become the second option and only took nine attempts in a recent game against the Warriors. But he has played great as of late and was the leading scorer in his most recent game against the Knicks, scoring 32 of the 76ers’ 71 points in the first three quarters.
No. 9 – Jalen Brunson, 27.4 PPG/ 3.3 RPG/ 6.1 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 7
If Maxey hasn’t been consistent, I don’t know what to say about Brunson. In a big game against the Pistons, he scored only 12 points, but then he destroyed the Celtics, scoring 31 in a win. The following game he had 40, but most recently he had eight. Brunson has been all over the place scoring-wise, but is contributing to wins in other ways. He had 13 assists and seven rebounds in a win against the Lakers. New York is 10-2 in their last 12 games heading into the All-Star Break, and Brunson is their offense.
No. 10 – Donovan Mitchell, 29 PPG/ 4.5 RPG/ 5.9 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 9
Donovan Mitchell has been unlocked following the James Harden trade. He has scored 30+ points in every game with Harden, all wins. The Caveliers are only half a game behind the Knicks for the No. 3 seed in the East after being a Play-In team for most of the season. Cleveland is 10-1 in their last 11 games and is on a five-game win streak. Mitchell has been dominant all season, and now it is leading to wins. Don’t be surprised if he rises up this tier as the Cavs rise in the standings.
NBA MVP Tier 5: Pre-All-Star Surges
No. 11 – Kawhi Leonard, 27.9 PPG/ 6.3 RPG/ 3.7 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 13
Kawhi Leonard has been a top-10 player in the NBA this season, yet he is 11th on this list. Harden hasn’t played for the Clippers in February, and Leonard is the only reason they have been above .500 this month. He scored 41 against the Timberwolves, 31 against the Kings, and he hit the game-winner in his most recent game against the Rockets.
Leonard has been great this whole season, but he is limited by his team’s success after the trade deadline.
https://twitter.com/LAClippers/status/2021789850480087242?s=20
No. 12 – Jalen Johnson, 23.3 PPG/ 10.6 RPG/ 8.2 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 10
Jalen Johnson is a walking triple-double. He had three straight following the last ladder, including a 30-point and a 22-point, 16-rebound, 15-assist triple-double. Johnson has had at least 19-points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in every game over the last two weeks. Johnson will make his All-Star Game debut on Sunday.
No. 13 – Jamal Murray, 25.8 PPG/ 4.3 APG/ 7.6 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 12
Jamal Murray has solidified himself as one of the best second options in the NBA. He thrived with Jokic out, raising both his scoring and assists output. Then, when Jokic cameback, Murray stayed at that level. Murray has had three games with over 10 assists since Jokic’s return and three games scoring over 28 points. He has been one of the most efficient high-volume shooters in the NBA, having the second-highest three-point percentage out of players with over 150 made threes. He has finally been the player in the regular season that he has been in the playoffs, making his first All-Star game.
No. 14 – Scottie Barnes, 19.4 PPG/ 8.4 RPG/ 5.6 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 15
Scottie Barnes continues to be a top-three defender in the NBA. He has had four games with 3+ blocks since the last ladder. He is the only player in the NBA to average 1.5 blocks along with 15-points 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Barnes does everything to contribute to winning, as the Raptors are currently the No. 5 seed in the East, avoiding the play-in.
NBA MVP Tier 6: No. 15
No. 15 – Kevin Durant, 25.8 PPG/ 5.3 RPG/ 4.4 APG
Last Ladder Ranking: 11
Kevin Durant has fallen the most on this ladder. He hasn’t been as efficient over the last two weeks, having 13 and 15-point games under 40% shooting. That just explains the drop, but Durant still deserves to be on this list. He is the leading scorer on the No. 4 seed in the West and has multiple games over 30 points in the last two weeks.
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