With SGA a lock and MVP buzz, will Chet Holmgren join him? See which Thunder stars earn coveted All-NBA honors this season.
The NBA has been slowly rolling out their 2025-2026 league awards nearly daily throughout the playoffs.
The winners for Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Teammate of the Year, Executive of the Year, The Sportsmanship Award and Hustle Award have already been announced. The pending honors yet to be announced are Coach of the Year, the All-Rookie Teams, the All-Defense Teams, the All-NBA Teams and, of course, the Most Valuable Player.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have already taken home one of the prizes when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deservedly captured the Clutch Player of the Year trophy. The universally accepted consensus is that the OKC superstar will collect his second consecutive MVP trophy soon, a rare accomplishment that puts Gilgeous-Alexander in historic company.
It's also a no brainer that Chet Holmgren, who finished #2 in Defensive Player of the Year voting, will be a First Team All-Defense selection. And that Cason Wallace is almost certainly going to be a Second Team All-Defense selection. The Thunder do not have any candidates for the All-Rookie Teams and Mark Daigneault will likely receive votes for but does not have a chance to win Coach of the Year.
So that leaves the All-NBA Teams. The soon to be back to back MVP is a lock. But what are the chance Holmgren gives OKC two All-NBA selections in back to back seasons? This is how I see the 15 players shaking out.
First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets.
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs.
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers.
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics.
The biggest question here is whether Jaylen Brown or Cade Cunningham snatches the final spot. My guess is Cunningham playing only 64 games drops him to the second team. The top four are practically guaranteed.
Second Team
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons.
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks.
There are a few players from the tier below that have a great argument for placement here. Cunningham absolutely has an argument to be a tier above. This is the toughest team to predict.
Third Team
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers.
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets.
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons.
Ultimately, Holmgren being the consensus second best defensive player in the league combined with his efficient offensive numbers and his role as the second best player on the best team in the league should secure an All-NBA spot. The last players to miss the cut include Scottie Barnes, Deni Avdija, Karl-Anthony Towns and James Harden.