Overview
- Sportsbooks continue to list Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the favorite for a repeat MVP (-275 to -320) with Victor Wembanyama closing the gap (+210 to +270), according to multiple odds roundups.
- Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters he would not lobby for the award and said, “I let my game do the talking,” after scoring 47 points in an overtime victory.
- Tyrese Haliburton said on the NBA on Amazon broadcast he would vote for Gilgeous-Alexander, and analyst Zach Lowe also picked him, citing overall value and a roughly 400-minute edge over Wembanyama.
- Wembanyama made a detailed public case that voters undervalue defense and broader offensive impact, and NBA.com’s MVP ladder briefly moved him to No. 1 even as betting markets kept SGA on top.
- Pushback to Wembanyama’s campaign grew as Bucks center Bobby Portis said the award should go to Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic, and Quentin Richardson criticized what he called Wembanyama’s “politicking,” though Wembanyama remains the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner with elite blocks and on/off impact.