NBA MVP Rankings: Victor Wembanyama jumps into top three, Cade Cunningham could win by default
The old adage that "availability is the best ability" has never rung truer than in the chaotic final stretch of the 2025-26 NBA season. As the league pivots toward March, the MVP race is being redefined not just by brilliance on the hardwood, but by the unforgiving math of the 65-game eligibility rule. What was once a coronation procession for the established elite has dissolved into a survival contest, opening the door for a new generation of superstars to seize the hardware.
Cade Cunningham has emerged as the primary beneficiary of this attrition, positioning himself to potentially win the award by "default"—though that term undersells his masterful campaign. The Detroit Pistons, just two years removed from a historic 28-game losing streak, now sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. Cunningham is the architect of this resurrection, averaging 25.5 points and nearly 10 assists per night. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined by an abdominal strain and dangerously close to the missed-game limit, and Nikola Jokić possessing almost no buffer remaining before disqualification, Cunningham stands as the last elite playmaker with both a clean bill of health and a top-tier record.
However, the race is far from a one-man show. Victor Wembanyama has vaulted into the top three of the latest rankings, riding the momentum of a San Antonio Spurs resurgence. The Spurs have rattled off a nine-game winning streak to seize the second seed in the West, transforming from a developmental project into a legitimate title contender. Wembanyama’s statistical profile—24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.0 blocks per game—is overwhelming, but it is his defensive gravity that truly sets him apart.
While Cunningham offers the stability of an offensive engine, Wembanyama provides a two-way impact that statistics struggle to fully capture. If the frontrunners fall victim to the eligibility threshold, the voters will be left with a fascinating philosophical choice: the steady hand guiding the East’s best team, or the alien force redefining basketball geometry in the West.
Cade Cunningham has emerged as the primary beneficiary of this attrition, positioning himself to potentially win the award by "default"—though that term undersells his masterful campaign. The Detroit Pistons, just two years removed from a historic 28-game losing streak, now sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. Cunningham is the architect of this resurrection, averaging 25.5 points and nearly 10 assists per night. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined by an abdominal strain and dangerously close to the missed-game limit, and Nikola Jokić possessing almost no buffer remaining before disqualification, Cunningham stands as the last elite playmaker with both a clean bill of health and a top-tier record.
However, the race is far from a one-man show. Victor Wembanyama has vaulted into the top three of the latest rankings, riding the momentum of a San Antonio Spurs resurgence. The Spurs have rattled off a nine-game winning streak to seize the second seed in the West, transforming from a developmental project into a legitimate title contender. Wembanyama’s statistical profile—24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.0 blocks per game—is overwhelming, but it is his defensive gravity that truly sets him apart.
While Cunningham offers the stability of an offensive engine, Wembanyama provides a two-way impact that statistics struggle to fully capture. If the frontrunners fall victim to the eligibility threshold, the voters will be left with a fascinating philosophical choice: the steady hand guiding the East’s best team, or the alien force redefining basketball geometry in the West.
