MVP ladder ahead of the knockout stage

The NBA MVP Award is the most prestigious individual achievement a player can earn in basketball, dating all the way back to the 1955-56 season. The NBA Cup The MVP has only been around for two years, but it’s quickly becoming the preferred hardware. While the championship team only plays seven tournament games per season, meaning unexpected names could win the MVP, so far only legends have taken home the trophy. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only two NBA Cup MVPs until now.

Group play is over for this year’s NBA Cup, with the knockout stage set to begin on December 9. So, check out the gallery to see who are the favorites to win the 2025 NBA Cup MVP.

More about another member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but Austin Reaves was one of them pleasant surprises of the NBA season so far, and that includes NBA Cup games. Everyone knew that Reeves was good coming into this year, but he took the next step to become a true star.

In NBA Cup games, Reaves averaged 30.3 points per game, which ranks 12th in the entire league. LeBron James has missed most of this season with sciatica, but Reaves has progressed to the point where the Lakers are exceeding expectations. Reaves already has an NBA Cup championship to his name, and could add tournament MVP to his collection.

The trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal never worked out for the Phoenix Suns, and the team left the bottom two in the offseason. The Phoenix were expected to take a big step back this season, but they have been better than expected, largely due to the brilliance of Booker.

Arguably the best shooting guard in the NBA, he led the Suns to the knockout stages by scoring from all three levels of the offense and carrying a heavy load as a playmaker. Colin Gillespie also deserves praise as one of the best players in the NBA Cup this year. The Booker-Gillespie backfield has been making waves all year and could make a deep leap forward.

Jalen Brunson only played three group games, but he can make up for lost time if he continues his level of play in the knockout stages. In three games, Brunson scored 33 points per game and averaged five assists. Brunson is the floor general of the New York Knicks.

He has great awareness, body control and IQ, and those are big reasons why his Knicks are in the knockout stage. The Eastern Conference is wide open this year, with injuries holding players like Jayson Tatum out and Tirese Halliburton is out. Brunson has an opportunity during the NBA Cup to make a statement that the Knicks are ready to make a run until playoff time.

The defending NBA MVP is certainly in the race to win the MVP of the NBA Cup. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is somehow even better than he was last year. His 34.5 points per game are the fourth most in NBA Cup games this year. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have had one of the best starts in NBA history.

They are 22-1, and even though their only loss of the season came in an NBA Cup game, they still did enough to get into the knockout stages. The Thunder look unbeatable, and no one would be surprised if they win another championship and Gilgeous-Alexander wins another MVP trophy, this time in NBA Cup fashion.

1. Luka DončićLos Angeles Lakers

With Reaves and Luka Doncic on this list, the Lakers have a great chance to win their second NBA Cup and have a player take home the MVP again. Since it is traded to the Lakers, Doncic has been sharing ball-handling duties with James, but has been forced to take on a bigger role, reminiscent of his days with the Dallas Mavericks, during the extended time James has been sidelined this year.

With James back in the fold, the Lakers will have a great chance to win the NBA Cup. After all, they already have experience in this. If Los Angeles is crowned champions, Doncic has the numbers to justify earning MVP honors. His 36.5 points per game are the most among players who have played in all four NBA Cup games so far.