Luka Dončić Left Out of NBA MVP Finalists
Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) walks across the court during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The NBA revealed on Sunday the three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award for the 2025-2026 season, and Luka Dončić is not among them. Despite a remarkable campaign wearing the Los Angeles Lakers jersey, the Slovenian star will have to settle for a presumed fourth place behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), and Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets).
This exclusion from the final podium is not a total surprise, given the particular circumstances that marked the end of Dončić’s season. The point guard saw his chances of winning the MVP diminish after suffering a hamstring injury that cut short his regular season.
A Statistically Dominant Season Despite Absences
Having played only 64 games in the regular season — one fewer than the required minimum of 65 games to be eligible for NBA awards — Dončić had to appeal the rule. His appeal on the grounds of « extraordinary circumstances » was accepted by the league, allowing him to remain in contention for individual honors.
Dončić’s statistics certainly make a strong case: he led the league in scoring with 33.6 points per game, along with 7.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals. His shooting splits came in at 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range. He was the only player in the Western Conference to win the Player of the Month award multiple times, including in March when he appeared to be the MVP frontrunner by leading the Lakers to a 15-2 record.
« I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision, » Dončić said in a statement. « It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate that Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization fully supported me. »
Dončić’s absence from the top 3 raises questions about the evaluation criteria, particularly regarding the inclusion of Wembanyama, who played 400 fewer minutes than the Slovenian. Despite this disappointment, Dončić is expected to be named to the All-NBA First Team for the sixth time in his career in the upcoming announcements.
YOUR 2026 NBA MVP FINALISTS 😤 pic.twitter.com/F9G2jh2Vcz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 19, 2026
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