The 2025–2026 NBA season is officially underway, and with that, the talk of early award frontrunners has already taken over the basketball world. Every year, that discussion sparks endless debates, predictions and bold takes among fans and analysts alike.
And while it's still way too early to tell who'll end up lifting the major hardware, one NBA legend seems confident in his picks. Reggie Miller recently shared his thoughts on this year's potential award winners, giving one player a near-guaranteed lock for the Defensive Player of the Year, while also revealing his early MVP favorites.
"We'll at some point, yes. I think we can; we don't even have to pencil him for the defensive player of the year. Should we go straight to the pin? He should have won last year, but he didn't qualify for the games, right? He was running away with it," Reggie said in his recent interview with Dan Patrick. "So if he qualifies for games this year, he'll clearly win the Defensive Player of the Year. And, to your point, I think he will be Top 5 in the MVP voting."
There are probably not many people out there who'd disagree with Reggie on this one. Victor Wembanyama looks poised to take home the DPOY award — something that many believed should have already been his last season. Before his unfortunate blood clot-related issue cut his year short, Wemby was the clear frontrunner for the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. The only thing that stopped him was the new minimum games rule introduced by the league.
Statistically speaking, the French phenom was in his own league. Wembanyama averaged an eye-popping 3.8 blocks per game, while the next closest player, Walker Kessler , sat at 2.4. On top of that, he added 1.1 steals, constantly disrupting offenses with his absurd length and mobility. He made rim protection look effortless every game. So, if he can stay even remotely healthy this season, as Miller said, it's pretty clear whose name will be etched on that trophy come spring.
However, the Indiana Pacers legend didn't stop there. He also suggested that the 21-year-old could be in the conversation for something much bigger. According to Reggie, Wembanyama isn't too far off from being an MVP contender. With his two-way ceiling arguably being the highest in the entire league, and if the San Antonio Spurs manage to make noise in the tightly contested Western Conference, Miller believes the Frenchman could find himself right in the mix for the Most Valuable Player award, too.
Still, as Reggie pointed out, there are a couple of names that remain the usual suspects at the top of that race.
"It will probably be Jokic or Luka ," the retired sharpshooter added.
When Miller mentioned those two names, it immediately clicked why and it's hard to argue otherwise. Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic have been sitting at the top of the MVP ladder for quite some time now. Jokic keeps redefining the modern big man position with his running of the offense and dominating the box score numbers.
As for Doncic, even though his Los Angeles Lakers came up short on opening night against the Golden State Warriors , Luka reminded everyone why he's always in that MVP conversation. The Slovenian superstar flirted with a triple-double, posting 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, showing once again that he is the guy of the future.
If both European superstars maintain their usual level of dominance, it's safe to assume the MVP debate will be another tight race between them, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ready to defend his title from last campaign.
But with Wemby lurking in the background, ready to shake things up on both ends of the floor, this season could deliver one of the most exciting MVP chases we've seen in years.
One thing's for sure: Miller's watching closely, and so is everyone else.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
