Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic is already drawing MVP buzz before the new season tips off, with ESPN’s panel of insiders placing him second in their preseason survey for the league’s top individual award.
Nikola Jokic, who just finished averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game, was the runaway favorite.
The Denver Nuggets star became only the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double across an entire season.
“Either voter fatigue wears off quickly, or voters were very impressed by Nikola Jokic’s head-to-head battle with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the second round of the 2025 playoffs,” Ramona Shelburne wrote. “The three-time MVP came in as a heavy favorite to win for a fourth time in our preseason survey, almost doubling the votes for SGA to repeat. Voters also seemed to be impressed by Luka Doncic’s offseason transformation as the svelte version of the Los Angeles Lakers point guard came in second in early voting. Team success always plays a factor in voting, which is probably why SGA has slipped to third here. In other words, he already elevated the Thunder to a championship level and was recognized as the MVP for doing it. But what if there’s even another level for him — and the youngest championship team in decades — to reach?”
Doncic has been a regular in the MVP discussion since entering the league, fin ishing in the top 10 on five different occasions.
His best chance came in 2023-24 with Dallas when he led the league in scoring, ultimately finishing third behind Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander. That same season, he carried the Mavericks all the way to the NBA Finals, where they fell to Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics in five games.
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