Full List of 2025 NBA Awards Finalists for MVP, DPOY, ROY, 6th Man of Year, COY, MIP

The top finalists for every major NBA award were announced Sunday, with all eyes on this year's Most Valuable Player honor.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo unfortunately finds himself as the odd man out in the two-horse race for MVP between the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić and Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The NBA announced Sunday the full list of finalists for this season's individual awards. Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander again made the final cut for the top prize, but this year's voting could yield a different outcome.

MVP

Milwaukee Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Oklahoma City Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokić

Defensive Player of the Year

Atlanta Hawks G Dyson Daniels

Golden State Warriors F Draymond Green

Cleveland Cavaliers C Evan Mobley

Rookie of the Year

San Antonio Spurs G Stephon Castle

Atlanta Hawks F Zaccharie Risacher

Memphis Grizzlies F Jaylen Wells

Sixth Man of the Year

Detroit Pistons G Malik Beasley

Cleveland Cavaliers G Ty Jerome

Boston Celtics G Payton Pritchard

Coach of the Year

Cleveland Cavaliers HC Kenny Atkinson

Detroit Pistons HC J.B. Bickerstaff

Houston Rockets HC Ime Udoka

Most Improved Player

Detroit Pistons G Cade Cunningham

Atlanta Hawks G Dyson Daniels

Los Angeles Clippers C Ivica Zubac

Clutch Player of the Year

New York Knicks G Jalen Brunson

Minnesota Timberwolves G Anthony Edwards

Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokić

Jokić averaged more points (29.6), rebounds (12.7) and assists (10.2) compared to last season, and he joined Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players to maintain a triple-double for a full campaign.

Denver also finished fourth in the Western Conference at 50-32 despite getting slightly worse in the offseason and going through enough internal turmoil to justify firing both head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with three games left until the playoffs.

Without Jokić, the Nuggets might have fallen out of the postseason picture altogether. According to NBA.com, they had a plus-10.5 net rating with him on the floor and a minus-9.3 net rating when he was sitting on the bench.

And yet, Gilgeous-Alexander may deny Jokić's bid for a fourth MVP in five years.

The Thunder guard was the NBA's leading scorer with 32.7 points per game while dishing out a career-high 6.4 assists per contest. He also used his 6'6" frame and 6'11" frame to great effect on defense, averaging 1.7 steals and one block per game.

The Thunder's dominance this year might be the biggest facet of Gilgeous-Alexander's candidacy. Oklahoma City won 68 games and posted the league's highest net rating (plus-12.7).

Most Valuable Player isn't about rewarding the best player on the best team. However, there are years when that distinction overlaps with a player being the most valuable.

Jokić adding another MVP to his trophy cabinet won't be a shock, but Gilgeous-Alexander is arguably the slight favorite.