Last season, Joel Embiid prevented Nikola Jokić a third consecutive MVP title. However, the Denver Nuggets star is expected to win the trophy this year, joining a select group of players who have won three MVPs.

Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James are the only players in league history to win the newly titled Michael Jordan Trophy three times or more. Jokić, a -150 favorite, is on track to become the ninth player to win three.The reigning Finals MVP faces Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+250), Giannis Antetokounmpo (+650), and Luka Dončić (+750).

Antetokounmpo, who won back-to-back MVPs before Jokić, may also be included in this list. Gilgeous-Alexander and Dončić had top-five MVP finishes, but neither has won the award. This season, SGA’s Oklahoma City Thunder compete for the top spot in the West, and Dončić is on track to win his first scoring title.Jokić’s high averages and strong advanced numbers support his claim as the league’s greatest player. His scoring average is back up to 26.1 points per game, after dropping below 25 previous season.

Jokić has the second-highest rebound (12) and assist (8.9) averages throughout his illustrious career. He leads the NBA in VORP and box plus/minus for the fourth consecutive year and has appeared in all but two games.The Denver Nuggets (36-19) are in a four-team Western Conference race with the Minnesota Timberwolves (38-16), Oklahoma City Thunder (37-17), and Los Angeles Clippers (36-17). Denver finished first in the conference last season, but Jokić did not receive MVP after winning the honor the previous two years, despite his team finishing sixth and third.

Oklahoma City is on track to have its best season in a decade owing to the play of Gilgeous-Alexander, who might become the team’s first MVP winner since Kevin Durant in 2014. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league’s third highest scorer (31.1 points per game) and leading in steals (2.2). Jokić has led all players in both win shares and offensive win shares for the past three years. Gilgeous-Alexander has one of the most efficient scoring ratios in the NBA, with 55/37/88, and he leads the league in total free throws made. He’s missed only one game this season on his way to his second consecutive All-Star selection and first as a starter.

Antetokounmpo has carried the Milwaukee Bucks through two coaching changes and a significant summer shakeup with the arrival of Damian Lillard. His scoring (30.7) and rebounding (11.4) averages have dropped slightly from 2022-23, but his 6.3 assists per game and 61% field-goal percentage are both career highs.

Antetokounmpo also leads the league in fast break points (5.5) and points in the paint (20.4) per game. As usual, the Bucks (35-20) are among the top three teams in the East, but the Boston Celtics (43-12) have the best record in the NBA, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (36-17) have lately surpassed Milwaukee for second place. Antetokounmpo, who has only missed two games, is quietly having one of his best seasons, and his Bucks might finish with the second-best record in the East and one of the best in the NBA if they can regroup after the All-Star break under coach Doc Rivers.

Dončić, too, is putting up video gaming numbers. He leads the league in scoring (34.2 points per game) and is third in assists (9.5), both of which are career highs. Dončić upped his three-point shooting to 37.5 percent, leading to a career-high 73 points in late January, the fourth-highest single-game total in NBA history. However, his eight missed games are the most among any of the top contenders. The Dallas Mavericks (32-23) are well behind Dončić’s peers in the standings, but this season has been significantly better than the previous one, when the Mavs missed the playoffs for the first time since Dončić was a rookie.

After Dončić, there’s a huge drop-off to Clippers star Kawhi Leonard (+2500), followed by another gap before New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (+6600) and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (+8000), who form their own tier. In mid-February, it appears that either Gilgeous-Alexander or Dončić will be the first-time MVP, or Jokić or Antetokounmpo will win the award for the third time, cementing their respective legacies. 2023-24 NBA MVP odds. Nikola Jokić -150 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +250. Giannis Antetokounmpo +650. Luka Dončić +750 Kawhi Leonard: +2500 Jalen Brunson +6600. Jason Tatum +8000