NBA straw poll shows Gilgeous-Alexander still narrowly ahead of Jokic in MVP race
nba-mvp-straw-poll-dec-2025
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the front-runner for the 2025-26 NBA Most Valuable Player award, edging Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in ESPN’s sixth straight MVP straw poll.
The survey of 100 media members, conducted Monday and Tuesday, mirrors the league’s official five-place ballot. Gilgeous-Alexander collected 57 first-place votes and 865 total points. Jokic secured 42 first-place nods and finished with 822 points. Only one other player—Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic—received a first-place vote.
Top five vote-getters
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
32.4 PPG | 6.4 APG | 4.7 RPG
57 first-place votes | 865 points | appeared on all 100 ballots
Gilgeous-Alexander is powering the defending champions to a league-best 24-1 record and a net rating of plus-16.9. Oklahoma City is openly chasing the NBA’s 70-win plateau and would match the 1995-96 Bulls’ 72-win mark by finishing 48-9 the rest of the way.
2. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
29.6 PPG | 12.3 RPG | 10.9 APG
42 first-place votes | 822 points | appeared on all 100 ballots
Jokic leads the league in rebounds and assists while shooting 61.2 percent overall and 42.6 percent from three. Denver is plus-1.2 per 100 possessions without him—a notable improvement on the minus-9.3 mark from last season—thanks in part to guard Jamal Murray’s career-best start.
3. Luka Doncic, Lakers
35.2 PPG | 9.1 APG | 8.8 RPG
1 first-place vote | 432 points | 95 ballots
Doncic has the Lakers third in the West despite the NBA’s 20th-ranked defense. Head coach J.J. Redick continues to search for lineup combinations that can protect the rim behind an offense built around Doncic, Austin Reaves and 40-year-old LeBron James.
4. Cade Cunningham, Pistons
27.2 PPG | 9.2 APG | 6.2 RPG
271 points | 91 ballots
Detroit owns the East’s best record at 21-6. Cunningham ranks second in assists and seventh in double-doubles while guiding a roster with no guaranteed second All-Star.
5. Jalen Brunson, Knicks
28.7 PPG | 6.4 APG | 3.3 RPG
106 points | 60 ballots
Brunson claimed MVP honors of the NBA Cup last week as New York captured its first trophy in more than five decades. First-year coach Mike Brown has publicly campaigned for Brunson to be included in MVP discussions.
Notables outside the top five
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished sixth, the first time he has landed outside the top five in a straw poll since 2021. A calf injury leaves him in danger of missing the 65-game minimum for award eligibility.
Victor Wembanyama placed eighth but has already missed 12 games; he can sit out only six more to remain eligible.
Tyrese Maxey earned 13 votes to debut in seventh place, while Jalen Johnson picked up one fifth-place vote to tie for 12th.
The next official MVP ballot will not be cast until the regular season ends in April, but early polling suggests another tight finish between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic.
Source: ESPN
