The NBA Cup has to mean something, right? Maybe every team in the league doesn't take it as seriously as others, but a few MVP candidates took part in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, and it was Jalen Brunson who claimed the in-season championship over Victor Wembanyama.
Even though Wembanyama and his San Antonio Spurs were the ones who took down reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brunson and the New York Knicks were the ones who got the last laugh.
Brunson was fantastic throughout this year's tournament, as he was named to the All-Tournament Team and he received the 2025 NBA Cup MVP. Mike Brown has always used his press conferences to highlight how underappreciated Brunson is, and it was no different in Las Vegas when the national spotlight was on the Knicks.
“Obviously, the MVP is Jalen,” Brown said in the aftermath of the Knicks' locker room celebration. “I hope now on this stage, you guys, when you start talking about MVP candidates, his name is one of the first that come out your mouth because on this stage, to go get it done while winning, again while winning, is what in my opinion, an MVP is about.”
The Knicks are currently 20-8 this season, just two games back from the Detroit Pistons for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and they appear to be the team to beat in the East this season.
Brunson has once again put together an All-NBA season as the calendar gets ready to flip to 2026, and he has scored at least 20 points in all but four games this season. Since winning the NBA Cup, Brunson has not slowed down, and he put together his best performance of the season with 47 points and eight assists in a 132-125 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday.
So, where does Brunson stand in this year's race for the NBA MVP award?
Although Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic appear to be in a class of their own, the Knicks guard is rapidly rising in the ranks and firmly putting his name in the hat for this year's award. With his steady play and elite scoring numbers, Brunson has jumped over Wembanyama to enter the top five of this week's MVP rankings.
Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Previous ranking: #1
2025-26 season stats: 27 games, 32.5 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 55.4 FG%, 43.2 3P%
Since falling short of his goal to win the NBA Cup, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bounced back in a big way with back-to-back 30-point performances. However, his recent 35-point outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves was in a 112-107 losing effort, as the Thunder suffered just their third loss of the year and second loss in the last three games.
While Oklahoma City has hit a rough path, if we even want to label it that, Gilgeous-Alexander has continued his scoring ways. The reigning league MVP is now up to 99 consecutive games scoring at least 20 points, putting him 27 games away from breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive games with 20-plus points.
At this point, it's hard not to envision Gilgeous-Alexander setting a new record this season, and that will be a strong addition to his MVP resume. The Thunder remain the best team in the NBA by a wide margin, and it's Gilgeous-Alexander's play that has put them in this position to win another title.
2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Previous ranking: #2
2025-26 season stats: 27 games, 29.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 60.5 FG%, 42.1 3P%
The minimal gap between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic is beginning to close. What Jokic has done with Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun out of the lineup for the Denver Nuggets can't go unnoticed, nor can the fact that he leads his team in virtually every major statistical category.
Last week, Jokic averaged 29.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game en route to registering two triple-doubles and putting the Nuggets in a position where they are now 20-7 overall. Jokic even recently passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most assists by a center in NBA history.
Since the start of December, Jokic has averaged 30.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 10.1 assists per game while shooting 54.6 percent from the floor. His efficiency is near the top of the league, given the amount of shots he takes every game, and these triple-double numbers from Jokic cannot be ignored any longer.
Once he is named the Western Conference Player of the Month for December, it will be hard to ignore Jokic's MVP resume.
3. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers
Previous ranking: #3
2025-26 season stats: 21 games, 34.1 points, 8.8 assists, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 45.8 FG%, 32.0 3P%
Luka Doncic, who has already missed six games this season and can only miss 11 more to remain eligible for end-of-season honors like MVP, left Saturday's game against the LA Clippers with a lower left leg injury. The Lakers star was seen at practice on Monday with his lower leg and calf area wrapped up, and head coach JJ Redick labeled him as “day-to-day.”
While this is good news for Doncic seeing as he avoided a major muscle injury, it could possibly signal another missed game or two depending on how his leg responds to treatment.
Availability is becoming a concern for Doncic in these MVP rankings, which is disappointing since he continues to lead the league in scoring and is tied for sixth in the NBA in double-doubles. His best performance of the season came on Thursday, as Doncic led the Lakers to a 143-135 win after recording 45 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season.
This was the first 40-point triple-double by a Laker since Magic Johnson in 1981, and Doncic joined James Harden, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA history with 10 or more 40-point triple-doubles.
4. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
Previous ranking: #5
2025-26 season stats: 25 games, 27.0 points, 9.2 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 45.3 FG%, 31.7 3P%
If the Detroit Pistons had closed out the Dallas Mavericks in overtime instead of losing by two points, Cade Cunningham would've likely been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
This past week was arguably Cade's best of the season, as he averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in Detroit's three games. His 22-point triple-double against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday was Cunningham's third triple-double of the season, tying him with Doncic for the fifth-most in the league.
Cunningham has now recorded a double-double in four of his last five outings, and the Pistons remain at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a 22-6 record. He currently ranks 13th in scoring and second in assists this season.
5. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks
Previous ranking: #7
2025-26 season stats: 26 games, 29.1 points, 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 48.2 FG%, 37.4 3P%
What more can we say about Brunson?
After claiming the NBA Cup in Las Vegas, Brunson did not miss a single game, and he turned in his best performance of the season with 47 points and eight assists on Sunday in a 132-125 win over the Miami Heat. That performance pushed Brunson over 29.0 points per game this season, making him one of seven players who are currently averaging 29 or more points per game.
Not to mention, Brunson is now one of three players in the Eastern Conference averaging at least 30 points per game in December, joining Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell. Should he keep up his current pace, Brunson will be named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month when the calendar flips to 2026.
Mike Brown is right — Brunson is doing things a true MVP does. However, he is still behind a few others who continue to set historic marks with their numbers.
Just missing the cut
6. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs [Ranked No. 4 last week]
7. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics [Ranked No. 8 last week]
8. Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks [Ranked No. 9 last week]
9. Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets [Ranked No. 10 last week]
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks [Ranked No. 6 last week]
