NBA unveils award finalists for 2024-25 season

The NBA unveiled the three finalists for each of its seven major individual awards for the 2024-25 regular season Sunday night, with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlining the finalists for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

Jokic, a three-time MVP who is looking to become the third player -- along with LeBron James and Bill Russell -- to win four MVPs in five years, is virtually assured of finishing in the top two of voting for the league's top individual honor for a fifth straight season. It'll be the first time anyone has accomplished that feat since Larry Bird did it from 1981 to 1986.

The only question is whether Jokic -- who averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists to join Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for a season -- will finish first or Gilgeous-Alexander will earn his first MVP award.

The Thunder superstar, who led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game, fueled Oklahoma City to a franchise-record 68 wins -- the most in the NBA since the Golden State Warriors set the record with 73 victories in 2016 -- and finished atop the last two versions of ESPN's MVP straw poll.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander as an MVP finalist. Antetokounmpo has finished in the top four in MVP voting for seven consecutive seasons, including winning the award in 2019 and 2020.

Perhaps this year's most interesting award is for the Defensive Player of the Year. San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama was seen as a virtual lock to win it but is ineligible after he was ruled out for the season because of a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis in February.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels are finalists for the award.

Mobley had a breakout season, becoming an All-Star for the first time and likely earning his first All-NBA selection while averaging 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Green helped the Warriors' resurgence down the stretch after the team acquired Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline. Green finished with at least one block and one steal per game for the seventh time in his career.

Meanwhile, Daniels led the league with 229 steals.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, who made his first All-Star team this season, is one of the three finalists for the Most Improved Player award. The other two are LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac and Daniels, who took on a much bigger role this season with the Hawks after he was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in the Dejounte Murray trade last summer.

Zubac set career highs in virtually every category this season, including points (16.8) and rebounds (12.6). Cunningham averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds.

Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 pick in last June's NBA draft, San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle and Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells are finalists for the Rookie of the Year award.

Risacher averaged 12.6 points, and Castle averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists. Wells, a second-round pick, started for most of the season before suffering a season-ending broken wrist earlier this month in a game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard joins Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome and Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley as finalists for the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Pritchard was one of the most consistent players for the defending champion Celtics this season, averaging 14.3 points and shooting 40.7% from 3. Beasley averaged 16,4 points and was the only player in the top 20 in 3-point attempts per game to shoot over 40%, hitting 41.6% this season. Jerome, who played in only two games last season because of injuries, had a stellar season off the bench, averaging 12.5 points while shooting 51.6% overall and 43.9% from 3-point range.

The Coach of the Year finalists have an interesting wrinkle. Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson and the man he replaced in Cleveland -- Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff -- are two of the three finalists. The other is Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka.

All three teams vastly outperformed their preseason expectations. Cleveland won its first 15 games and led the Eastern Conference from wire to wire, winning 64 games -- the second most in franchise history. Detroit more than tripled its win total from last season -- a first in NBA history. And Houston went from missing the play-in last year to being the second seed in the loaded Western Conference with a young roster.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson joins Jokic and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards as finalists for the Clutch Player of the Year award.

The NBA will announce the individual award winners -- and the selections for the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams -- over the next couple of weeks.