Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic Lead 2025 NBA MVP Voting in ESPN Straw Poll

The second NBA MVP straw poll of the 2024-25 season conducted by ESPN's Tim Bontemps features the same top four, but the name at the head of the list is different this time.

After checking in at second place the first time around, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has moved ahead of Nikola Jokić as the frontrunner for the award.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić were the only players who were named on all 100 ballots. The Thunder star received 70 first-place votes and 30 second-place votes for a total of 910 points.

Jokić accrued 788 points from 30 first-place votes, 69 second-place votes and one third-place vote. Giannis Antetokounmpo (430 points, 96 votes) and Jayson Tatum (299 points, 97 points) were a distant third and fourth in the balloting.

This represents a significant jump for Gilgeous-Alexander from the first poll released on Dec. 20. He received votes from first to fifth place and had a total of 678 points.

Jokić had a fairly comfortable lead at that point with 57 first-place votes and 827 points.

Even though the Denver Nuggets have been playing much better in the three months since that first poll and Jokić is still averaging a triple-double, Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player on a team that's tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA at the All-Star break (44-10).

The two-time All-Star is leading the league in scoring (32.5 points per game). He has the most games with at least 30 points, 40 points and 50 points this season.

It's felt for most of the season that the MVP race was a two-man battle between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić. They have two more head-to-head matchups this season on March 9 and 10 in Denver that could go a long way toward deciding who the actual winner is when the real voting is done.