Luka Doncic sits on top of our first MVP ladder of the 2026-27 season, with Tyrese Maxey, Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Sengun and Cade Cunningham right behind him. Two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic are just outside the top five for now. Averages and records are through games of October 31, 2026, unless a later game is named.
Our NBA MVP ladder after two weeks: 1. Luka Doncic (Lakers), 2. Tyrese Maxey (76ers), 3. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs), 4. Alperen Sengun (Rockets), 5. Cade Cunningham (Pistons). Doncic leads the league at 36.2 points per game. Stats through October 31, 2026.
The top five at a glance
| Rank | Player | Team record | PTS | REB | AST | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Doncic, LAL | 4-2 | 36.2 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 47.5 |
| 2 | Tyrese Maxey, PHI | 6-1 | 29.6 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 48.6 |
| 3 | Victor Wembanyama, SAS | 4-2 | 28.0 | 10.7 | 3.0 | 48.5 |
| 4 | Alperen Sengun, HOU | 6-1 | 22.8 | 9.0 | 7.4 | 53.2 |
| 5 | Cade Cunningham, DET | 5-1 | 22.2 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 45.0 |
Five or six games is a small sample, so this list is about who has looked best so far, not who will win in April.
1. Luka Doncic, Lakers
Doncic is scoring 36.2 points a game, the most in the NBA, with 6.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists through five games. His 52-point night in Utah is still the best single game of the season, and he has not scored fewer than 23 points in any game.
The one knock is the losing streak in the middle. The Lakers dropped back-to-back games to Portland (136-129) and Golden State (112-95) even though he put up 41 and 37. He answered on Sunday with 45 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals and 8 threes in a 131-125 win over Toronto, per Yahoo Sports, and the Lakers moved to 5-2.
Nobody has a stronger case right now. The real question is whether the Lakers win enough for voters to reward the numbers.
2. Tyrese Maxey, 76ers
Philadelphia has LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown on the roster, and Maxey is still the one carrying the scoring. He is averaging 29.6 points, third in the league, in 37.6 minutes a night, plus 1.7 steals.
The Sixers are 6-1, the best record in the East, and Maxey was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 1, per NBA.com. With Embiid at 19.2 points and James at 16.4, this is clearly Maxey’s offense, and that is exactly the kind of story MVP voters like.
3. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
No player changes games on both ends like Wembanyama does right now. He is averaging 28.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots, the most blocks per game in the league.
Saturday was his best game yet: 43 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks in a 121-111 win over Minnesota, San Antonio’s fourth straight win. The Spurs are 4-2. If his block rate stays anywhere near four a game, he can push for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
4. Alperen Sengun, Rockets
Houston is 6-1, and Sengun runs the whole thing. He is posting 22.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists on 53.2 percent shooting, which makes him a double-double threat every night with elite passing on top.
He has played only five of the Rockets’ seven games, and his 54.5 percent mark from three-point range will not last on so few attempts. Even so, Houston has the second-best record in the West with him at the center of the offense.
5. Cade Cunningham, Pistons
Detroit is 5-1, second in the East, and Cunningham is the engine. He is averaging 22.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists for one of the league’s best teams.
His raw numbers trail the four players above him, but the Pistons keep winning, and voters reward the best player on a top seed. He finished fifth in MVP voting last season, so he is already on the radar.
Just missing the cut
Jayson Tatum is back from Achilles surgery and the Celtics are 4-1. Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up big numbers in his first season with Miami, but the Heat are 2-4. Memphis is the league’s last unbeaten team at 6-0, led by Ty Jerome and rookie Cameron Boozer, so expect a Grizzly on this list soon if the streak keeps going.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder are 4-2 and Jokic’s Nuggets are 3-2. Both have won this award before, and both will climb fast once their teams start stacking wins.
Keep learning
- NBA Week 1 in review: Knicks 0-3, Luka scores 52
- Nikola Jokic’s 200th triple-double and the Westbrook record
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20-point streak ends at 141 games
FAQ
Who is leading the NBA MVP race right now?
On our ladder it is Luka Doncic, who leads the league at 36.2 points per game through October 31, 2026. The official NBA.com Kia MVP Ladder makes its first ranking on November 6.
Who won the last two NBA MVP awards?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder won MVP in both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
How often is this MVP ladder updated?
Every second Monday during the season. The next basketbols.com MVP ladder is planned for Monday, November 16.
Sources
- Basketball-Reference: 2026-27 NBA Player Stats: Per Game
- Basketball-Reference: 2026-27 NBA Standings
- NBA.com: On a team of MVPs, Tyrese Maxey might be Sixers’ No. 1 option
- Yahoo Sports: Lakers’ Luka Doncic torches Raptors
- Yahoo Sports: Victor Wembanyama has massive game as Spurs win 4 straight