NBA MVP predictions 2024-25: Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid face stiffer competition

By Andrew Buller-Russ

·Updated: July 8, 2024

Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

We know who won the 2024 NBA MVP, but it’s never too early to preview next season’s candidates to win The Michael Jordan Trophy. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have combined to win the past four MVP awards, but we have a feeling it may be time for a newcomer to emerge.

Now that most of the NBA free agency dominoes have fallen, here are our frontrunners to vie for The Michael Jordan Trophy, otherwise known as the MVP award, in 2025.

10. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Can the gigantic Frenchman take a Victor Wembanyama-sized sophomore leap? He’s already viewed as one of the best defenders in the NBA, and he has an incredibly smooth offensive skillset. A better all-around roster, plus the presence of Chris Paul, just might make the Spurs superstar into a fringe MVP candidate, but there’s a whole league of players he’ll have to fend off.

9. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Can Anthony Davis stay healthy? That’s the biggest question as he turns 31. But he did play 76 out of 82 games last season and had very impressive numbers with 24.7 PPG, 12.6 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. If that level of play continues, you can bet he’ll be in the mix to win MVP, but the Lakers will need to have a good record too.

8. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

There’s no question who the New York Knicks’ leader is anymore. Jalen Brunson forced his way into the MVP conversation after scoring a career-best 28.7 points per game last season. The first-time All-Star won’t be slowing down any time soon, and now that the Knicks have a deeper roster, he might even benefit from having better numbers. Or maybe his scoring averages slip, but New York being one of the best teams will help his candidacy either way.

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7. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum can relax a bit now that he got his NBA Championship. But will he ever prove to be in the top three of the NBA’s best players from a production standpoint? Maybe not, especially while working in such a smooth tandem with Jaylen Brown. Odds are Tatum doesn’t care about the MVP hardware, he wants more rings. But he’ll still be in the mix to win his first MVP.

6. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Like a few others, we expect Damian Lillard to be more comfortable in his second season in Milwaukee, which should lead to a significant step forward for the Bucks. It could also cause Giannis Antetokounmpo to reduce his scoring load, which would not be a bad thing. However, it won’t help his chances to win another MVP award.

5. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks

The NBA’s best scorer today, Luka Doncic, is undoubtedly talented. He also has a unique flair for setting his teammates up in transition. But he doesn’t play defense, and without it, we have a hard time imagining how voters will see him as the NBA MVP, though it’s been done before.

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took a gigantic leap last season, and so did the Oklahoma City Thunder. But we’re expecting his teammates to continue their growth, which could lead to a reduced impact from SGA. Make no mistake, we still see him as one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers who can shut down his opponent on a nightly basis, but we’re slotting him behind a few others, for now.

3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Had he not gotten hurt, Joel Embiid likely would have won consecutive MVP awards. We would have placed him first again, but the arrival of Paul George is likely to lead to reduced scoring averages, but it could also lead to more assists for the 76ers’ franchise player. Ultimately, the only thing getting in Embiid’s way from being an MVP finalist is his health.

2. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

No one puts up numbers like Nikola Jokic. He may not be the league’s top scorer, but Jokic is an incredibly efficient player who has somehow come close to averaging a triple-double each of the past two seasons. With three awards already on his shelf, of course Jokic is a top 2025 NBA MVP candidate again.

1. NBA MVP – Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

After proving the Minnesota Timberw o lves are one of the best teams in the Western Conference, Anthony Edwards is motivated to show he can be the face of the NBA. Already proven as one of the top two-way players in basketball, Edwards still has to take another big leap to merit this award. Having improved every year, we wouldn’t put it past him to become a more efficient scorer who learns how to limit his turnovers.