dailyloe.com – The National Basketball Association announced the finalists for its seven major regular-season awards on April 22, 2026. The awards honor the top performers from the 2025-26 NBA regular season. The winners will be revealed on a daily schedule throughout this week. This announcement was made by the NBA.com staff.
The Kia NBA Most Valuable Player finalists are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama. Gilgeous-Alexander plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jokić is a member of the Denver Nuggets. Wembanyama represents the San Antonio Spurs.
Finalists for the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year are VJ Edgecombe, Cooper Flagg, and Kon Knueppel. Edgecombe is with the Philadelphia 76ers. Flagg plays for the Dallas Mavericks. Knueppel is on the Charlotte Hornets.
The Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year finalists are Chet Holmgren, Ausar Thompson, and Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren is from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thompson plays for the Detroit Pistons. Wembanyama is a San Antonio Spur.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Deni Avdija, and Jalen Duren are finalists for Kia NBA Most Improved Player. Alexander-Walker is with the Atlanta Hawks. Avdija plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. Duren is a Detroit Piston.
Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year finalists are Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Keldon Johnson. Hardaway Jr. is a Denver Nugget. Jaquez Jr. plays for the Miami Heat. Johnson is from the San Antonio Spurs.
For the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, the finalists are Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jamal Murray. Edwards is with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gilgeous-Alexander plays for Oklahoma City. Murray is a Denver Nugget.
The NBA Coach of the Year finalists are J.B. Bickerstaff, Mitch Johnson, and Joe Mazzulla. Bickerstaff coaches the Detroit Pistons. Johnson leads the San Antonio Spurs. Mazzulla is the head coach of the Boston Celtics.
Twelve players are finalists for the NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award. The list includes Desmond Bane, Jalen Brunson, and Pat Connaughton. Also named are De’Aaron Fox, Jeff Green, and Jrue Holiday. DeAndre Jordan, Duncan Robinson, and Marcus Smart are finalists. Jayson Tatum, Garrett Temple, and Jaylin Williams round out the list.
The award winners will be announced on a specific daily schedule. The Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year will be revealed on Monday. Tuesday is for the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year. The Kia NBA Sixth Man Award winner is announced on Wednesday. Thursday is for the NBA Sportsmanship Award. The Kia NBA Most Improved Player will be named on Friday.
The NBA Communications account shared the complete schedule on April 19, 2026. Fans are asked to check back as winners are announced. All announcements will occur throughout the 2026 NBA postseason. The league will also announce several other honors later.
Additional honors will be announced throughout the postseason. These include the Kia All-NBA Teams and the Kia All-Defensive Teams. The NBA Basketball Executive of the Year will also be named. Other awards are the NBA Social Justice Champion and the NBA Sportsmanship Award. The NBA Hustle Award will be announced as well.
