Overview
- The league began its staged reveal Sunday evening on NBC, naming finalists for Defensive Player, Clutch, Sixth Man and Most Improved.
- Defensive Player of the Year finalists are Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson, with Wembanyama coming off a league-leading shot-blocking season.
- Clutch Player finalists are Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray, and Edwards qualified because coaches, not the 65-game cutoff, set that ballot.
- Sixth Man finalists are Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Keldon Johnson, and Most Improved finalists are Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Deni Avdija and Jalen Duren.
- With MVP, Rookie and Coach finalists due at halftime of Magic–Pistons, an ESPN straw poll shows Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the runaway MVP favorite, and the NBA has ruled Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham eligible despite not reaching 65 games.