Handing Out Awards for Every NBA Team This Season
The 2024-25 NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and their arrival tends to make us forget about the 14 teams that have to sit on the sidelines and watch the proceedings.
We'll soon turn attention to the pursuit of a championship, so let's celebrate every squad's key figures now before their accomplishments fade from memory.
MVP is a must, and we'll also use a team version of one of the other major awards to highlight notable contributors. Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved and all the rest are available. Lastly, we'll come up with a miscellaneous category to cover anything we missed.
In all, that's 90 awards. Keep those acceptance speeches on the short side. We've got a lot to get through.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
MVP: Trae Young
Though on track to finish with his lowest true shooting percentage since 2018-19 and likely to lead the league in turnovers for the third time in four years, Young remains the engine of the Hawks offense. He's Atlanta's runaway leader in scoring average and is going to set a career high by averaging over 11.0 assists for the first time in his career.
DPOY: Dyson Daniels
Daniels is already over 400 deflections on the season, and no one else is going to finish within 100 of that total. In his first year with the Hawks, the rangy guard developed into one of the most impactful and disruptive perimeter defenders in the league.
Better Than Advertised Award: Zaccharie Risacher
A Rookie of the Year nod would have been too easy. Instead, we're honoring Risacher for exceeding the pre-draft expectations that painted him as a low-ceiling role player. Those on-the-margins contributions are a key part of his game, but the top overall pick is shooting over 40.0 percent from deep since the All-Star break and has cracked the 30-point mark twice this season. There might be a little stardom in there after all.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
MVP: Jayson Tatum
This will be Tatum's fourth straight year as an All-NBA first-teamer, and the defending champs' best player continues adding to his game. If he keeps up his current rates, he'll set career highs in made threes, rebounds and assists per game, all while playing elite multi-position defense.
Sixth Man: Payton Pritchard
Only Stephen Curry, Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards have more games this season with at least five made three-pointers than Payton Pritchard, a legitimate candidate to win the leaguewide versions of Sixth Man and Most Improved this year.
Ageless Wonder Award: Al Horford
Boston managed the 38-year-old's minutes all year, but Horford consistently excelled on both ends when in the game. It's a scientific wonder that he can still handle the toughest switch assignments on D.
We'll let Tatum tell it: "Al is one of a kind. He's the anchor of our defense. The heart and soul of out team. Keeps us emotionally steady. The things that he's able to provide in year 18 is remarkable. I don't think that gets talked about enough."
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
MVP: Cam Johnson
Yep, he's still here. Johnson was a hot topic in trade talks prior to the deadline, but the rebuilding Nets retained the sharpshooting forward. That's probably because a career season—18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists on a 47.5/39.0/89.3 shooting split—could drive his market value even higher next year.
Coach of the Year: Jordi Fernandez
Brooklyn had no business playing competitive, hard-edged basketball all season, especially as trades stripped the roster of talent. The Nets' demeanor was not that of a tanking team, and head coach Jordi Fernandez deserves most of the credit for coaxing real effort and commitment out of a roster designed to fail.
Iron Man: Jalen Wilson
Unless you're a resident of one of the five boroughs, you'd have no chance of guessing the Nets' leader in appearances. That would be second-year forward Jalen Wilson, who will finish as Brooklyn's only player with at least 2,000 minutes.
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
MVP: LaMelo Ball
Even if second-year wing Brandon Miller had stayed healthy, this was Ball's award to lose. Criticize the point guard for unserious defense and three-ring-circus shot selection, but don't discount the 11.7 points per 100 possessions he added to Charlotte's offensive rating when on the floor, a 99th percentile figure.
Ball closes out his fifth pro season with averages of 25.2 points, 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Most Improved: Moussa Diabaté
A non-shooting big with suspect defensive numbers, Diabaté might have been on the way out of the league had he not proved his superpower—relentless board-crashing—could hold up over long stretches. He'll finish 2024-25 as one of just five players to log over 1,000 minutes while posting an offensive rebound rate of at least 16.0 percent.
Right Call Award: Jeff Peterson
The Hornets' front office exercised patience and operated with long-term goals in mind, a refreshing departure from the previous regime's go-nowhere pursuit of .500 records. Peterson and the rest of Charlotte's decision-makers are playing the long game.
Their best move, trading Mark Williams to the Lakers for two future first-round assets and rookie Dalton Knecht, was undone by a failed physical.
Dealing a 23-year-old starter for draft assets and a first-year player was the right move, even if it technically failed.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
MVP: Coby White
Josh Giddey's late-season run made it close, and Nikola Vučević will finish the year as the Bulls' leader in Estimated Plus/Minus. We're still going with Coby White, Chicago's leader in total points, made threes and free throws.
Once Zach LaVine left town at the deadline, the Bulls were woefully short on self-starting scorers. White filled a vital niche in that regard, was arguably the team's most consistent player and will finish with his first career 20-point scoring average.
Rookie of the Year: Matas Buzelis
Despite ranking seventh in minutes, Buzelis is the Bulls' runaway leader in blocked shots. That's just one indicator of the rookie's athleticism and competitive intensity. Most of Chicago's top highlights this season feature the springy forward, and he is closing with a flourish by averaging 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 36.1 percent from deep in March.
Glad You're Back Award: Lonzo Ball
Ball went 1,009 days between appearances for the Bulls, making his return from what often appeared to be career-ending knee injuries on Oct. 23. He logged eight games with at least five assists, scored in double figures nine times and even dunked. If his comeback didn't give you a strong case of the feels, you might not have a heart.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
MVP: Donovan Mitchell
For stretches of this incredible season in Cleveland, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley each looked worthy of team MVP honors. But Mitchell winds up taking it on the strength of his team-leading point and EPM totals, not to mention the fact that he's still clearly the man who should have the ball in his hands when the Cavs need a late bucket.
DPOY: Evan Mobley
Mobley's real growth came on offense, as he added a hard-charging drive game that made him a forceful scoring threat. His case for Defensive Player of the Year almost feels like an afterthought, which is a good indicator of just how accustomed we've become to him dominating on that end. He's a fully switchable stopper and is Cleveland's only player with at least 100 blocks and 50 steals.
Back on Track Award: Darius Garland
It turns out the broken jaw that put Garland on a liquid diet for a good chunk of last year was the cause of his seeming slippage. Who'd have thunk?
Healthy and entering his prime, the Cavaliers point guard has a 99th percentile Offensive EPM figure, stemming from 40-percent three-point shooting and 6.7 assists to go with his average of 20.6 points per game. Garland is all the way back.
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
MVP: Kyrie Irving
Irving's torn ACL put an early stop to yet another stellar season from the future Hall of Famer. Prior to injury, Irving put up a team-high 24.7 points to go with 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists while hitting over 40.0 percent of his threes for the second straight season. The Mavs offense put up 116.8 points per 100 possessions when Irving ran it without Luka Dončić, a scoring rate that would have ranked seventh in the league overall.
Most Improved: Naji Marshall
This was Marshall's most productive season overall, marked by a career-best 13.4 points per game. But he mostly earns this award for what he did when thrust into a higher-usage role after the All-Star break. His averages of 18.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists during that stretch blow away all of the hottest runs he managed in prior seasons.
Weight of the World Award: Anthony Davis
Davis didn't ask to be the main asset coming back in the Dončić deal, but that status foisted immense pressure on the star big man. An injury in his first game with the team felt ominous and, now that Irving is done for this season and potentially all of 2025-26, AD is going to be out there trying to make fans forget about Luka all by himself.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
MVP: Nikola Jokić
The best player on the planet certainly qualifies for team MVP honors. Jokić is yet again adding more points to his team's offensive rating than anyone else in the league, nearly doubling up the figure posted by his only MVP competition, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
On track to shoot over 40 percent from deep for the first time (on career-high volume) while adding a personal-best 29.7 points to go with 12.8 boards and 10.2 assists per game, Jokić's 2024-25 campaign will go down as one of greatest individual seasons of all time.
Sixth Man: Russell Westbrook
Though he'll start too many games to qualify for the official honor, Westbrook's synergy with Jokić and standalone production on the second unit makes him the easy pick as the Nuggets' top reserve. Russ injected intensity and playmaking into lineups that needed it, and he even managed to nail threes at his highest hit rate since 2016-17.
New Dimension Award: Michael Porter Jr.
One of the league's preeminent snipers since he debuted in 2019, MPJ is finishing up his best close-range scoring season ever. Porter Jr. is on track to take over a third of his shot attempts from inside 10 feet, and he's been especially effective on those tricky floater-range tries, hitting 51.3 percent of them.
On a Denver offense that needs more dynamism and self-creation from everyone, Porter Jr. stood out for adding some new scoring dimensions.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
MVP: Cade Cunningham
Cunningham made the superstar leap this season, earning his first All-Star nod and establishing himself as a legitimate No. 1 option on a winning team. The stats tell the tale, with Cunningham joining Jokić as the only players in the league to average at least 25 points and nine assists per game this season.
Quietly, Cunningham has also become arguably the most impactful post-up player this side of the Joker.
Sixth Man: Malik Beasley
Beasley will finish the year as the league's most accurate high-volume three-point shooter. Only he, Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole and LaMelo Ball got up at least 11 three-point attempts per 36 minutes (minimum 1,000 minutes played), and Beasley tops that field at a hit rate of 42.1 percent.
Buy Stock Now Award: Ausar Thompson
Unless you count his twin brother Amen, there might not be a more athletic, predatory wing defender in the league than Thompson, whose activity and aggression made him a difference-maker all season. With block, steal and offensive rebound rates that all ranked in the 95th percentile or better at his position, Thompson profiles as a DPOY candidate next year and a potential All-Star if he ever irons out his jumper.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
MVP: Stephen Curry
Curry was yet again the Warriors' no-questions-asked MVP, leading the team in scoring while also topping the entire NBA in made threes per contest. Jokić is the only rotation player to juice his team's offensive rating by more points per 100 possessions.
At age 37, Curry is still a legitimate candidate for first-team All-NBA honors.
Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green
In addition to self-promotion, Green continues to excel as a multi-position stopper who diagnoses opposing offensive actions better than just about anyone. Golden State's post-trade deadline success (No. 3 defensive rating during that stretch) is most often attributed to Jimmy Butler's arrival, but Green's defensive impact can't be ignored.
This is more than one of the league's most vocal personalities speaking a second career DPOY into existence. If Green wins it, he will have earned it.
New Toy Award: Quinten Post
A midseason call-up from the G League, rookie Quinten Post almost immediately established himself as one of the top three-point marksmen in the game—and not just among 7-footers.
Post's sniping frequently hauled the Dubs out of offensive ruts, and he's on track to finish as one of seven players (minimum 600 minutes) to attempt at least 12.0 threes per 100 possessions while shooting at least 40.5 percent from deep.
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
MVP: Alperen Sengün
You can still question whether Sengün is a cornerstone or the kind of center (non-spacing, iffy in space on D) who can anchor a big-time postseason winner while acknowledging he was immensely productive. The fourth-year big man was Houston's lone All-Star, will finish second on the team in total points and ran away with the lead in rebounds and assists months ago.
Defensive Player of the Year: Amen Thompson
Predatory. That's the best way to describe Thompson's brand of defense. He's the human embodiment of a quick-twitch muscle, always primed to strike. The kind of player who flips the offense-defense dynamic to put the man with the ball on his heels. Thompson's block rate is in the 100th percentile among wings, and he's an elite defensive rebounder who can guard five positions in a pinch.
Holding Out Hope Award: Reed Sheppard
Sheppard, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2024 draft, may not eclipse 700 minutes despite staying relatively healthy all year. Buried behind a deep roster of guards, he never got a shot at consistent, extended playing time. Flashes of the impact that got him drafted so high showed up on the rare occasions Sheppard enjoyed a rotation role, and he lit up the G League often. Don't give up on Houston's rookie guard just yet.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
MVP: Tyrese Haliburton
The Pacers score over seven more points per 100 possessions when Haliburton is on the floor directing traffic, a result of his hyper-efficient on and off-ball scoring. It's not just the team-leading 9.2 assists that drive Indy's attack. It's also Haliburton's otherworldly ball security. After averaging at least 2.3 turnovers per game in each of the last three years, he's all the way down to 1.7 in 2024-25, the lowest figure among all players averaging at least eight dimes.
DPOY: Andrew Nembhard
Aaron Nesmith gets the tough wing assignments, and Myles Turner handles the shot-blocking, but Nembhard's ability to wrangle the backcourt matchups Haliburton can't makes him indispensable. He's the guy charged with tracking everyone from Damian Lillard and Tyrese Maxey (on whom he spent more minutes than any other opponent this season) to Trae Young, Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Indy isn't a defense-first operation, but Nembhard at least gives it a chance against the league's most dangerous guards.
Rock Solid Award: Pascal Siakam
This award could have been renamed "We Just Need to Acknowledge Siakam Somehow Because He's Such a Reliable Two-Way Force," but that felt a little unwieldy. Siakam is finishing up his third straight season with 70-plus appearances while averaging over 20 points and hitting threes at the highest clip of his career.
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
MVP: James Harden
His league MVP days are long gone, but the aging version of Harden was largely responsible for making the Clips one of this season's surprise teams. Though L.A. is defined by its defense, Harden spent most of 2024-25 carrying an offense that lacked creators. He'll likely finish with at least 400 more points than any teammate, and his assist total is greater than his next three teammates' combined.
Defensive Player of the Year: Kris Dunn
Dunn is currently second leaguewide in Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus, which is a per-minute stat. Considering that he's logged more minutes than either of the two players sandwiching him—Alex Caruso and Ausar Thompson—there's a case to be made that, by at least one catch-all metric, he was the most impactful defender in the NBA.
That may seem like a stretch in an era where big-man defense tends to get the most recognition. But any opponent who had to deal with Dunn's smothering on-ball D and off-ball disruption could vouch for his excellence.
Bigs Are Back Award: Ivica Zubac
Big Zu easily could have earned team DPOY honors, but we needed to carve out space for Dunn's brilliant season. A career year marked by personal bests in scoring (16.5 points), rebounding (12.5 boards) and assists (2.6 dimes) saw Zubac dominate games on both ends in a manner that seemed to belong to the mid-'90s. His interior presence keyed L.A.'s surprising season, and opponents with undersized frontcourts were no match for Zubac's forceful work down low.
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
MVP: LeBron James
In his age-40 season, James made his 21st All-Star game, will likely land on his 21st All-NBA team and is on track to average over 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists with a true shooting percentage above the league average.
Never, ever take this man for granted.
Coach of the Year: JJ Redick
In many ways, Redick was set up to fail. A first-time coach in a highly scrutinized market with outsized expectations simply shouldn't have had this level of success. Instead, Redick proved adept at establishing a culture, connecting with stars and coaxing terrific defense out of a roster that, especially after Anthony Davis left, had no business getting stops like it did.
This Changes Everything Award: Luka Dončić
Though he'll wind up playing less than half the season for the Lakers, Dončić, not James, is the guy who'll define the team going forward. He's the new addition that changes everything—an in-prime superstar who'll anchor whatever competitive version of the Lakers emerges when (if?) James ever calls it a career.
The trade that sent Dončić to Los Angeles was this season's defining moment.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
MVP: Jaren Jackson Jr.
A likely All-Defensive first-teamer for the third time in his career, Jackson's dominant work on that end of the floor paled in comparison to his offensive growth. Not only was this Jackson's best three-point shooting season since he broke out in 2019-20, but he also developed into a startlingly effective on-ball weapon.
His 1.7 Offensive Box Plus/Minus is nearly three times higher than his previous career best.
Rookie of the Year: Jaylen Wells
Rarely flashy, Wells' steady play on both ends turned him from a little-known No. 39 pick in to a surefire All-Rookie first-teamer. Routinely assigned the toughest wing matchup on D, Wells compensated for suboptimal size by making multiple efforts and rarely blowing coverages.
No rookie will finish with more starts or made triples, and Wells is conspicuously the only first-year player who made a major impact for a winning team.
Shaky Ground Award: Ja Morant
Head coach Taylor Jenkins' late-season firing unsettled everything in Memphis. Combined with Morant's penchant for missing games and seeming failure to develop over the last handful of seasons, it's worth wondering whether the franchise point guard is still viewed as a cornerstone.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
MVP: Bam Adebayo
A down year by Adebayo's standards is nothing to be ashamed of. Most players would happily take averages of 17.8 points, 9.6 boards and 4.3 assists, particularly if it came with nearly unsurpassed defensive versatility and a quiet spike in three-point attempt rate.
Rookie of the Year: Kel'el Ware
It took a few months, but Ware eventually cracked Miami's rotation and showcased the athleticism, finishing and spacing that got everyone so excited during summer league. We should view Ware's numbers in March—10.2 points and 9.5 rebounds—as a floor for his upcoming sophomore campaign.
One Small Step (Back) Award: Tyler Herro
Herro is finishing up his most efficient scoring season ever, marked by his first true shooting percentage over 60. He did it by scrapping long twos almost entirely, cutting his attempt rate from 16-23 feet all the way down to just 3.8 percent and taking a higher share of his shots from three-point range than he ever has.
Though his shot-profile evolution didn't carry Miami's offense to glory, it did make it easier to see Herro, a first-time All-Star, as a more realistic first option.
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is likely going average at least 30 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the third straight season. Considering Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player with even two such campaigns, it's no wonder why Giannis is a lock to make the All-NBA first team while finishing no lower than fourth in MVP voting for the seventh consecutive year.
Sixth Man: Bobby Portis
Portis received a 25-game PED suspension in February, but he was his typically effective self prior to being banished. With averages of 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds off the bench, Portis offered steady production to a frontcourt that desperately needed depth. The Bucks were 25-17 when the 30-year-old got suspended and have been a .500 team since.
You Have One Job Award: A.J. Green
Barring a late-season evolution as a downhill driver, Green is going to finish 2024-25 with one of the most exaggerated shot profiles in the league. More than 85 percent of his field-goal attempts have been three-pointers, and he set an NBA record by attempting 52 threes before trying a single two-point shot to start the year.
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
MVP: Anthony Edwards
Karl-Anthony Towns' departure from Minnesota meant somebody had to fill the spacing void, and Edwards took on the task with gusto. He'll easily blow away his previous career high in three-point attempts and is on track to give Malik Beasley a run for the league lead in made triples. That would have been impossible to imagine when he shot just 32.9 percent from distance as a rookie.
Minnesota's leading scorer is also on track to average a career-high 27.1 points per game and should earn his second career All-NBA nod.
Sixth Man: Naz Reid
Reid captured the leaguewide version of the Sixth Man award last season and increased his counting-stat production across the board in 2024-25. Unlike another big whom we're about to discuss, Reid's effect on Minnesota's net rating was hugely positive: a team-high plus-6.9 points per 100 possessions.
Perennial Mixed Bag Award: Julius Randle
Randle was helpful for a Wolves team that needed secondary creation as Mike Conley moved deeper into his late 30s, and averages of 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists from a bruising forward are nothing to sneeze at. Still, Minnesota's net rating has been roughly 5.0 points per 100 possessions worse with Randle on the floor this season.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
MVP: Zion Williamson
Cumulatively, several Pelicans outproduced Williamson, who was shut down for good in late March after totaling 30 games. But in those contests, Zion looked every bit like the franchise cornerstone and elite offensive first option he was during his previous stretches of sustained good health.
Fitter than at any point in the previous four years, Williamson averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 56.7 percent from the field. He finished with a plus-3.2 Estimated Plus/Minus that ranked in the 95th percentile leaguewide.
Rookie of the Year: Yves Missi
New Orleans entered the season with a massive question mark at the center spot, and Missi turned it into an exclamation point within a couple of weeks. He'll finish the season with more blocks and rebounds than any two of his teammates combined. Missi was particularly effective on the offensive glass, where his rebound rate ranked in the 86th percentile among bigs.
Most Improved: Trey Murphy III
Like virtually everyone else on the roster, Murphy's season ended early due to an injury. Prior to tearing his labrum and rotator cuff, the fourth-year forward was averaging 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists, all of which were career highs.
The most intriguing development in Murphy's game was his on-ball playmaking, a complement to his elite three-point shooting that should make him one of the most complete offensive forces in the league next year.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
MVP: Jalen Brunson
Cleared for basketball activities as he tries to come back from an ankle sprain, Brunson hardly needs more playing time to justify his status as Knicks MVP. He averaged 26.3 points and 7.4 assists before going down and even perfected his foul-drawing craft by averaging a career-best 7.0 free-throw attempts per game.
Sixth Man: Deuce McBride
Head coach Tom Thibodeau isn't known for leaning on his bench. That McBride is on track to log over 1,500 minutes as a reserve speaks to the backup guard's effectiveness. A rugged defender who changed several games with his three-point shooting, McBride, who went down with a groin injury on March 20, is averaging a career-high 9.4 points to go along with 2.9 assists and 1.8 made treys per contest.
Designated Hitter Award: Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns and Kevin Durant are the only two rotation players shooting at least 52 percent from the field, 42 percent from long range and 80 percent from the foul line. Unlike KD, Towns has significant defensive responsibilities as a center, although he doesn't often handle them well.
That's the KAT tradeoff, though, and the Knicks knew what they were getting into when they traded for the sharpshooting, hard-driving big man.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
If SGA doesn't win the league's MVP award, he'll finish no lower than second to Nikola Jokić and be regarded as perhaps the top runner-up in recent memory. A litany of stats validates Gilgeous-Alexander's phenomenal season, but a personal favorite is that, as recently as late March, SGA was the league's leading scorer if you excluded all points he amassed in fourth quarters.
Another: SGA has been held under 20 points only once this year.
DPOY: Jalen Williams
Candidates abound on what might be the best defense of the three-point era, but J-Dub earns the edge on the strength of a tremendous cameo as a center. A versatile wing by trade, Williams spent significant time in the middle of an undersized defense missing Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.
On the year, Williams is holding opponents to 51.5 percent shooting inside six feet, better than Walker Kessler, Rudy Gobert and Evan Mobley. In fact, it's the lowest conversion rate allowed by any non-center who covered at least 280 attempts.
The Other DPOYs Award: Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, et al.
A defense that may go down as one of the best of all time isn't a one-man achievement. Every player listed here, along with SGA, deserves credit for the Thunder lapping the field on D.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
MVP: Franz Wagner
Orlando's leader in total points and assists, Wagner started the season playing at a level that had him in first-team All-NBA and MVP conversations. An oblique strain threw things off track, but Wagner is running away with the team lead in impact metrics. His 8.8 Estimated Wins Added crush Paolo Banchero's second-ranked 4.8, and the Magic's net rating jumps by 14.6 points per 100 possessions when Wagner enters the game.
Rookie of the Year: Tristan Da Silva
Slim pickings here, as Da Silva was the only first-year player to feature in Orlando this season. Though unspectacular and confined to a limited role, the 6'8" forward showcased a smart, measured two-way game defined by connective passing and good positioning on defense.
If Da Silva gets his three-point percentage up around the league average, he'll be a quality rotation presence for years to come.
Still In Charge Award: Paolo Banchero
Wagner has the catch-all metrics and playing-time volume on his side, but Banchero remains Orlando's central figure going forward. Though he lost nearly half the season to injury, the third-year forward is setting new career highs with 26.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.5 free-throw attempts per game despite averaging fewer minutes than he did in as an All-Star in 2023-24.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
MVP: Tyrese Maxey
Overburdened from the jump as Joel Embiid and Paul George battled injuries, Maxey did what he could under difficult circumstances. His 52 starts were just eight fewer than the combined total of his other two star teammates', and the point guard finished the year with averages of 26.3 points, 6.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds while playing a much larger role—with far less help—than anticipated.
Rookie of the Year: Jared McCain
The presumptive Rookie of the Year until a knee injury shelved him, McCain flashed intriguing movement shooting and better-than-expected self-creation en route to 15.3 points per game on a 46.0/38.3/87.5 split. He was only healthy for 23 games, but McCain showed enough flashes to warrant real enthusiasm for next year.
Mr. March Award: Quentin Grimes
Though he put them up in meaningless games for a Sixers squad that had already put the stamp on its mailed-in season, it's hard to ignore Grimes' numbers from the month of March. The deadline acquisition and soon-to-be restricted free agent racked up 26.6 points, 4.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds during what was unquestionably the best stretch of his NBA career. We'll see what that earns him on his next contract.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
MVP: Kevin Durant
Suns fans had better celebrate now, because the team's ill-fated attempt to move Durant at the trade deadline all but assured he'll be dealt this summer. The KD era in Phoenix will be remembered as a productive one, even if it never resulted in much team success.
Durant led the Suns in EPM and averaged 26.6 points on a 64.2 true shooting percentage.
Rookies of the Year: Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn
Ighodaro lacks size at the center spot, and Dunn can't shoot the ball, but both Suns rookies appeared in at least 50 games and combined for more than 2,000 minutes of court time. Ighodaro came on strong later in the year, as his defensive switchability, short-roll passing and floater touch made him useful on both ends.
Clock's Ticking Award: Devin Booker
Booker, a career Sun, has never made any noise about wanting out of town. But with KD all but certain to bounce this offseason and Phoenix lacking flexibility, it's hard to imagine he'll survey the landscape and determine things are trending up with his current team. The Suns should look to get out ahead of things by offering Booker to the Rockets for a handful of their own first-rounders in return.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
MVP: Deni Avdija
If you tuned out after the All-Star break, you missed Avdija's ascent to stardom. That's when the Blazers wisely put the ball in the 24-year-old forward's hands more often, producing averages of 22.5 points, 9.6 boards and 5.2 assists on 64.4 percent true shooting after the break.
Long a quality defender, Avdija's improved offensive game made him Portland's best player and a blossoming two-way star.
Defensive Player of the Year: Toumani Camara
Extremely versatile, Camara was a force whether lurking for steals off the ball or hounding an array of the league's most potent offensive players. He's among the NBA elite in "stops," per Tom Haberstroh, a combined measure of steals, recovered blocks and offensive fouls drawn.
Sigh of Relief Award: Scoot Henderson
He may never live up to draft billing that drew comparisons to Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul, but Henderson's second half put to rest any bust concerns left over from his underwhelming rookie year. The sophomore point guard is putting up 13.5 points and 4.6 assists off the bench following the All-Star Game while getting to the foul line far more often and generally flashing the strength and quickness that made him such a tantalizing prospect.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
MVP: Domantas Sabonis
The league's leading rebounder played through multiple injuries and became an accurate three-point shooter (on low volume, but still) this season. Though he's limited defensively and of negligible offensive value off the ball, Sabonis' box-score production and no-fuss consistency make him the no-brainer Kings MVP pick.
When he goes to the front office in search of clarity this offseason, he'll have a third straight year of at least 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to use as evidence that he's done all he can to keep the team afloat.
Defensive Player of the Year: Keegan Murray
Murray gets the toughest defensive assignments by default on a Kings roster that sorely lacks stopping power, but he's good enough to warrant that role almost anywhere. With an 83rd percentile D-EPM and one of the best rim-protection rates of any non-center, the versatile forward continues to establish himself as one of the top defensive players at any position.
What's It Going to Take? Award: Keon Ellis
Since trading De'Aaron Fox, the Kings have used four different lineups for more than 150 possessions. The only ones with positive point differentials feature Ellis, an energetic defensive pest who can cover everything from point guards to small forwards.
Not only does Ellis allow the Kings to field units with a second capable defender next to Murray, but he also owns the highest three-point percentage on the team (minimum 100 attempts). What else does he have to do to earn a 30-minute role?
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
MVP: Victor Wembanyama
San Antonio got only 46 games from Wembanyama, but that was more than enough to settle any team MVP debates. Averages of 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.8 blocks and 1.1 steals leap off the page, as do Wemby's 8.8 three-point attempts per game. At 35.2 percent from distance, he established himself as a legitimate spacing threat.
Wembanyama's presence on the floor was the difference between a 112.4 defensive rating that would rank 11th in the league and a 122.2 figure that would slot in below the league-worst Pelicans.
Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle
Castle has a long way to go as a shooter, but he does almost everything else well. He's going to wind up leading all rookies in total points, steals and free-throw attempts, and his athletic outbursts mark him as a player with superstar-caliber physical tools.
Try Anything Award: Jeremy Sochan
As a rookie, Sochan was almost exclusively a power forward. Last season saw the Spurs test him out as a point guard for a significant chunk of the year, and 2024-25 brought yet another positional shift as Sochan slotted in as a backup center (rather successfully) for nearly a quarter of his court time.
Sochan's career 29.0 percent conversion rate from deep makes him a tough fit in many ways, but his overall versatility and defensive value keep him on the floor.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
MVP: Scottie Barnes
Barnes probably deserves the most credit for Toronto quietly posting a top-three defensive rating since the All-Star break, and he's likely to wind up leading the team in both total assists and points. Given all of the injuries around the league, don't rule out the possibility of him sneaking onto an All-NBA team.
Most Improved: RJ Barrett
Prior to this season, Barrett had never posted an assist rate above 17 percent. That makes his 27.8 percent figure stand out, as does his career-best Box Plus/Minus and team-leading 21.4 points per game. Skeptics could trot out the "somebody's got to put up numbers on a bad team" argument, but Barrett genuinely added layers to his game this season.
Guess We'll Find Out Award: Brandon Ingram
As we near the end of the season, Ingram's chances of returning from the ankle injury that shelved him on December 7 continue to shrink. That means the Raps will go into training camp not knowing how the guy whom they already handed a three-year, $120 million extension will fit with the rest of the core.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
MVP: Walker Kessler
Though he was barely a break-even offensive player, Kessler was clearly Utah's top defensive weapon. He'll finish 2024-25 with a block rate in at least the 95th percentile, the third straight time he's rejected shots that frequently. A rugged offensive rebounder and interior deterrent, the 7'1" center was the closest thing to a reliably helpful player whom the tanking Jazz had this season.
Rookie of the Year: Kyle Filipowski
Filipowski caught fire beyond the arc over the season's final few months and might only be a heater away from finishing the year above 40 percent from distance. No other rookie matches his per-36 averages of at least 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Please do not ask about the defense.
Do We Have Something Here? Award: Isaiah Collier
Collier is going to finish with over 100 more assists than the No. 2 setup man among rookies, Bub Carrington. That's quite a feat, considering Collier didn't start a single game before Christmas. A 25.5 percent knockdown rate from deep and poor two-point finishing make the rookie point guard a deeply imperfect prospect, but there's no doubting Collier's ability to get downhill and find teammates for clean looks.
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
MVP: Jordan Poole
Still fairly viewed as an unserious player, Poole at least improved his stats from a brutal first year in Washington. He'll wind up being the Wizards' only player with a scoring average north of 20, and a 38.0 percent clip on 9.2 three-point tries per game is legitimately good. Best of all, and unlike last season, Poole managed to hold onto his starting job all year.
Rookie of the Year: Alex Sarr
Sarr is an incomprehensibly poor finisher inside the arc, posting a 45 percent conversion rate on two-pointers that will go down as one of the worst in the last 30 years for a center who attempted as many shots as he did. With that said, Sarr showed some stretch by shooting 33.6 percent from deep after the break, and he posted a 2.7 percent block rate that ranked in the 81st percentile among bigs.
Don't Give Up Award: Bilal Coulibaly
A dip to 28.1 percent from last year's 34.6 percent accuracy on threes is concerning, but Coulibaly made enough gains as a playmaker and interior scorer to keep hope alive that he's on a star track.
With more reps on the ball this season, the athletic wing bumped his assist rate up by over 6 percentage points without adding to his turnover rate.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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