NBA basketball is less than a month away. Describing that as exciting would be a massive understatement given the absurd amount of talent and competitiveness in the league right now. In celebration of the upcoming season, I’ll be delivering a trio of preseason prediction articles. Today, we’re starting with my award picks. I’ll give my top five candidates for each honor before naming my winner. Let’s dive straight in!
Sixth Man of the Year
Honorable Mentions: Quentin Grimes, Ty Jerome, De’Andre Hunter, Scoot Henderson, Guerschon Yabusele, Brook Lopez, Jonas Valanciunas, Luke Kornet, Mortiz Wagner, Day’Ron Sharpe
Caris LeVert
LeVert has quietly made a smooth transition from injury-prone volume scorer to reliable secondary creator. He’s become more efficient in all senses, making him a high-level playoff rotation piece. With Malik Beasley leaving a gaping hole behind on Detroit’s bench, the team will likely lean on LeVert heavily as they look to expand upon their success from last season. An uptick in scoring is very much in the cards for the veteran wing, and his complementary skills should pop as well.
Bobby Portis Jr.
A suspension kept Portis out of last year’s Sixth Man race, but he’s otherwise been a staple on ballots throughout his time in Milwaukee. The Bucks will need a few of their role players to shoulder more offensive responsibility with Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton both gone, and we know Portis can put up buckets in bunches. He’ll be one of his team’s most important players throughout the season.
Naz Reid
Reid has established himself as a perennial contender for this award. Minnesota’s fan favorite is an offensive unicorn, a rare microwave big man who can go for 20+ with multiple triples on any given night. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker no longer on the team, Reid will be the sole sixth man for the Wolves and could have his best individual season yet.
Anfernee Simons
In terms of talent, Simons will easily be the best bench player in the league if Boston puts him in that role. He’s been a low-tier star guard since 2022, and has averaged 20+ points two times in his career (19.3 in 2024-25). Anferno is a picture-perfect Mazzulla ball player as one of the better volume three-point shooters in the sport. He could have an all-time bench scoring season if he’s empowered to do so.
Aaron Wiggins
The Thunder are incredibly deep, so Aaron Wiggins gets lost in the shuffle to some degree, but he’s very important to what they do. Wiggins came up clutch in big moments several times last year, both in the regular season in the playoffs. He averaged career-highs in points (12.0), rebounds (3.9) and assists (1.8) in 2024-25. They call him the man who saved basketball for a reason.
2025-26 6MOY: Caris LeVert (Simons should be moved to the starting lineup at some point)
Most Improved Player
Honorable Mentions: Amen Thompson, Bilal Coulibaly, Shaedon Sharpe, Davion Mitchell, Jaden Ivey, Deni Avdija, Brice Sensabaugh, Scoot Henderson, Jaden McDaniels
Santi Aldama
Aldama made some MIP noise last season, especially early in the fall. This year, he should get even better. The 24-year-old will likely play a featured role in Memphis’ offense and could become their third option. His shooting and overall off-ball scoring chops make him a fitting candidate to fill parts of the role Desmond Bane left behind.
Moussa Diabate
Diabate was the best two-way contract player in the league last year, as well as one of Charlotte’s best players on a night-to-night basis. His breakout should become a full-on explosion in 2025-26. He’ll be competing with Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kalkbrenner for the starting center spot, a battle that should easily go his way. Expect some insane rebounding numbers (and solid stats overall) from Diabate as he cements himself as a rotation big.
Bennedict Mathurin
Andrew Nembhard (who we’ll get to in a second) is the popular Pacers breakout pick, but don’t sleep on Benn Mathurin. The former sixth-overall pick is a fiery scorer just waiting for the chance to put his full skillset on display. With a gap year on the horizon for Indy, Mathurin should have ample opportunity to have the ball in his hands and get buckets. If everything clicks, he could drop 20 bombs on a regular basis.
Andrew Nembhard
Nembhard has been limited to a supporting role so far in his career, but after Tyrese Haliburton’s injury, he’ll be able to spread his wings as a lead ball handler. His scoring and playmaking should both look better than ever with the freedom to strengthen his on-ball chops. As the widespread preseason favorite for this award, expectations are high for him, but he has the talent and willpower to shatter them.
Ausar Thompson
Amen Thompson is getting a lot of hype right now, and Ausar will soon enter the same conversations as his twin. Ausar has only played 122 games and he’s already one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. His offense is lagging behind a little, but it should come around as he finds more comfort on an NBA floor. Overall, he’s just as enticing of a prospect as Amen, and he’s set to prove that to the world this season.
2025-26 MIP: Bennedict Mathurin
Rookie of the Year
Honorable Mentions: VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, DaRon Holmes II
Ace Bailey
Bailey was supposed to be a consensus top-three pick, but an unusual PR situation led to him falling to five. In Utah, the Rutgers star will have the track to become an offensive star early in his career. Will Hardy knows how to maximize off-ball scoring forwards— just look at Lauri Markkanen. Don’t be surprised to see standout volume scoring numbers from Bailey in year one.
Cooper Flagg
Not much really needs to be said here. Flagg is coming into his first year as far-and-away the most NBA-ready player in his class. The 18-year-old will have little trouble adjusting to the physicality of the pros. He should be a borderline All-League defender almost right away, and he could have a special offensive rookie season as well. Jason Kidd will certainly give him the usage necessary to make that happen.
Dylan Harper
The clear-cut second guy in the 2025 class is entering an ideal situation as a rookie. There’s no pressure for him to look like a franchise savior right away (or ever, really, given San Antonio already has Wemby). He’ll be able to take a backseat behind De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle in the backcourt, learning the ropes while having the opportunity to play a level of hoops other lottery teams couldn’t offer. All in all, Harper is in the perfect ecosystem for his development.
Tre Johnson
Washington has some nice prospects, but they haven’t yet identified their guy. Tre Johnson could be the leader of their rebuild. He’s a phenomenal scorer for his age with the upside to be a bonafide offensive star. He’ll have plenty of reps to fill up the scoring column in year one.
Khaman Maluach
Don’t let his age fool you, Maluach is ready to not just survive but thrive in the NBA. His towering 7’2” frame will help him be a menace on the glass and defensively from day one. The Duke product will be coming off the bench behind Mark Williams, but he has the makings of a per-minute monster.
2025-26 ROTY: Cooper Flagg
Defensive Player of the Year
Honorable Mentions: Bam Adebayo, Jaren Jackson Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis
OG Anunoby
Anunoby is the league’s best non-big defender because he’s the definition of versatile. He can guard in the post like a five, but he can also shut down anyone on the perimeter. New York’s defense won’t be top-of-the-line, but it will be tough to deny OG’s merit for DPOY considering how much weight he pulls for them on that end.
Chet Holmgren
If there’s anyone who could realistically challenge prime Victor Wembanyama for best defender in the world, it’s Chet Holmgren. Between his unbelievable shot blocking, mobility and switchability, Holmgren is a world breaker on D. A fully healthy season of anchoring a dominant OKC defense would put the big man in lofty conversations.
Evan Mobley
The reigning DPOY will once again contend for the trophy in 2025-26. Mobley’s all-world rim protection and versatility will always get his name on ballots, especially while he plays for a contending Cavaliers team. However, to beat out The Alien and go back-to-back, he’ll need to up his block numbers or keep his team in the top three league-wide defensively (or both).
Amen Thompson
Amen Thompson is just 22 years old and he’s already the top defender at his position. The athletic freak anchored an elite Rockets defense on his way to a top-five DPOY finish in 2024-25, and the odds look good for him to replicate that in the upcoming season. Between Amen, Wemby and Chet, the top of this race feels like something out of a video game.
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama stands nearly uncontested atop the NBA’s defensive mountain. The only thing that could stop him from winning his first Defensive Player of the Year award in 2026 is injury (which is exactly what happened last year).
2025-26 DPOY: Victor Wembanyama
Most Valuable Player
Honorable Mentions: Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham, Kevin Durant, Victor Wembanyama, Trae Young, Paolo Banchero
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SGA is coming off an extraordinary season in which he won both MVP and Finals MVP while capturing countless other accolades along the way. He’s on a crash-course trajectory toward the title of best in the world, ready to snatch the crown the moment Jokic and Giannis let up (which might not happen for a while). With the Thunder set to run the league once again, Shai could very well go back-to-back here.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis has two MVPs in his trophy case, and yet all of his best individual seasons have come after his MVP years. He’s been continuously overlooked in favor of his fellow international megastars. In 2025-26, the Greek Freak could put up numbers too ridiculous to ignore. He’s slated to shoulder the highest usage rate of his life after Damian Lillard’s shocking dismissal.
Jalen Brunson
Brunson has built upon his improbable breakout each year since his arrival in New York, going from All-Star, to All-NBA, to MVP candidate. He’s in prime position to terrorize the weakened East and lead his team to the promised land this season. If the Knicks finish atop their conference, don’t sleep on the King of N.Y. for this award. He’s this year’s dark horse.
Anthony Edwards
Ant screams future MVP. Believe the hype. He’s the modern Michael Jordan. His drive to improve and be the greatest is unmatched in this league. With the city of Minnesota on his back, Edwards could ascend to unfathomable heights this year.
Nikola Jokic
Jokic is the type of good that becomes boring, and that’s a compliment. How is he a top-three MVP candidate every year? Because he’s one of the best centers basketball has ever seen. Heading into 2025-26, he has perhaps the most well-constructed supporting cast of his prime, which will only make him look better.
2025-26 MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
All-League Awards
All-NBA First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Jokic
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
All-NBA Second Team
Luka Doncic
Victor Wembanyama
Kevin Durant
Donovan Mitchell
Cade Cunningham
All-NBA Third Team
Trae Young
Paolo Banchero
Stephen Curry
Karl-Anthony Towns
Chet Holmgren
All-Defensive First Team
Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Evan Mobley
Amen Thompson
OG Anunoby
All-Defensive Second Team
Bam Adebayo
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Anthony Davis
Dyson Daniels
All-Rookie First Team
Cooper Flagg
Tre Johnson
Ace Bailey
Khaman Maluach
Dylan Harper
All-Rookie Second Team
VJ Edgecombe
Kon Knueppel
Nique Clifford
DaRon Holmes II
Walter Clayton Jr.
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