NBA Announces 2025-26 Season Award Finalists and Early Winners

The National Basketball Association has revealed the finalists for its major individual awards for the 2025-26 regular season. The winners are being unveiled on a scheduled basis throughout the 2026 postseason, with three awards already announced as of April 22, 2026.

Announced Award Winners

As of April 22, 2026, the NBA has announced the recipients for three awards.

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was named the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year on April 21, 2026.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder was named the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year on April 22, 2026.

Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs was named the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year on April 22, 2026.

Details on Sixth Man of the Year

Keldon Johnson played in all 82 regular season games for the Spurs, all as a reserve. He became the first Spurs player to score 1,000 points as a reserve in a single season and is the second player in franchise history to win the award, following Manu Ginobili in 2008. The other finalists were Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Denver Nuggets.

Remaining Award Finalists

The NBA has released the list of three finalists for each of the other major individual honors. The winners will be announced on unspecified future dates.

• Kia NBA Most Valuable Player:

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
  • Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)
  • Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)

• Kia NBA Rookie of the Year:

  • VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)
  • Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)
  • Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)

• Kia NBA Most Improved Player:

  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Atlanta Hawks)
  • Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers)
  • Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons)

  The winner will be announced on April 24, 2026.

• NBA Coach of the Year:

  • J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons)
  • Mitch Johnson (San Antonio Spurs)
  • Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics)

Additional Honors and Schedule

The league will also announce several other awards and honors throughout the postseason.

Scheduled Announcements This Week:

• Thursday, April 23, 2026: NBA Sportsmanship Award finalists
• Friday, April 24, 2026: Kia NBA Most Improved Player

Other Honors to be Announced:

The NBA will also reveal the Kia All-NBA Teams, Kia All-Defensive Teams, NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, NBA Social Justice Champion, NBA Hustle Award, and the J. Walker Kennedy Citizenship Award (presented by the Professional Basketball Writers Association). Announcement dates for these honors, as well as for Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and MVP, have not been provided.

Teammate of the Year Finalists:

The NBA also named twelve finalists for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award:

• Desmond Bane (Orlando Magic)
• Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
• Pat Connaughton (Charlotte Hornets)
• De'Aaron Fox (San Antonio Spurs)
• Jeff Green (Houston Rockets)
• Jrue Holiday (Portland Trail Blazers)
• DeAndre Jordan (New Orleans Pelicans)
• Duncan Robinson (Detroit Pistons)
• Marcus Smart (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
• Garrett Temple (Toronto Raptors)
• Jaylin Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)