www.si.com/nba/nuggets/onsi Nikola Jokic Lands at Surprising Spot on NBA MVP Ladder The NBA announced Friday that Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has risen to No. 3 in the latest KIA NBA MVP Ladder. Brown now trails only Denver Nuggets‘ Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai-Gilgeous Alexander in his quest to win the Michael Jordan Trophy.

With the calendar turning to the New Year, the NBA MVP race is starting to take real shape. Contenders are separating themselves, storylines are forming, and sportsbooks are adjusting quickly based on performances and team success.

Nikola Jokic owns the to spot in the NBA MVP rankings over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering 2026 after his dominant Christmas performance.

NBA players are most likely to win the MVP award this season? Here are the top contenders ranked based on their odds.

Who are the favorites to win the Most Valuable Player award in 2025-26? Below, we provide the odds for the top contenders, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Learn more about the NBA on FOX Sports. FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Fans of the NBA and the Denver Nuggets alike held their collective breath on Monday night when Nikola Jokic fell to the floor, grabbing his knee against the Mia

Fans will be denied seeing the matchup of Giannis vs. Nikola Jokic, but the Milwaukee Bucks have a chance to capture a winning road trip in Denver.

Nash, who grew up idolizing Wayne Gretzky in Victoria, British Columbia, showed off how some basketball point guard skills translate to being a playmaking forward in hockey. Nash popularized commanding basketball games while moving under the hoop, similar to a hockey player quarterbacking a possession from behind the net.