The San Antonio Spurs haven't had an MVP since Tim Duncan in 2003, but that could change this season thanks to Victor Wembanyama.
The 2026 NBA MVP race should be one of the closest in recent memory. Last year, it came down to Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and seasons past have seen only two or three men races.
This season, Jokic, SGA, Cade Cunningham, Jaylen Brown, and Victor Wembanyama all have compelling cases. Of course, the NBA's 65-game minimum rule to qualify for awards will be a factor, but for now, all five players are on pace to finish above the mark.
Jokic is putting together one of the most statistically impactful seasons ever, and SGA leads the best team in the NBA. However, Brown, Cunningham, and Wembanyama are all playing at an MVP level.
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Wemby Emerges As a Legitimate Frontrunner
Gilgeous-Alexander, Cunningham, and Brown are all elite defenders. However, none of them is the best defender the world has ever seen.
That right is reserved for Wemby and defense matters.
As the Spurs stack win after win, his two-way impact is unmatched.
"He’s been on a tear, along with the Spurs, and his play and impact have thrust him right into the MVP debate," wrote The Athletic's Zach Harper. "There don’t need to be any caveats with his candidacy either. His team is great. He is great. And he’s played nearly as many games as SGA. When you factor in his elite defensive capabilities, it’s time to put him right there with Jokic and SGA."
That's elite company. He might not be a do-all offensive engine like Jokic and might not score nearly as much as SGA, but if you asked any player who the scariest player in the league is, Wembanyama would be at the top of the ballot.
"There's a very real scenario in which I could see Wembanyama winning MVP without needing Gilgeous-Alexander to be hit by the 65-game rule," Harper added.
At the start of the season, it seemed like the only thing that would hold Jokic or SGA back would be the league's 65-game threshold. However, as Wembanyama's dominance becomes more and more undeniable and the team around him gets better and better, he doesn't just belong in the conversation.
He deserves to be a frontrunner.
According to Harper and the betting odds, he is.