Every year in basketball, the NBA MVP is one of the most intensely debated awards, and in 2025, it is no different.

With the two front-runners for MVP, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, having faced off in the second round of the playoffs, fans are starting to get restless. When will the award be announced?

Not The Usual Timing

Normally, all regular-season awards are granted during the first round or between the first and second rounds. This makes sense as the MVP winner is usually on one of the better teams and makes it past the first round.

That is not always the case, though. In 2007, Dirk Nowitzki won the MVP award, but not until after his 1-seeded Mavs were upset by the 8-seeded Warriors in the first round.

Nowitzki said winning the award after losing in the postseason “(It) was some of the most uncomfortable moments of my career.”

Many thought the award was to be announced before Game 7, but with its conclusion, no new news has surfaced.

This would not be a good look for the NBA if they were to repeat Nowitzki’s situation. This time with Jokic, if he were to win over the favorite SGA somehow.

With all other regular-season awards already announced, many are questioning why the MVP has not been named now into the third round.

Some Likely Theories

Some speculated that the NBA MVP award would have been announced before Game 7. While this was an entertaining theory that would have added to the drama of a series-deciding game, no awards were given out.

Now that the Thunder have advanced to the Conference Finals, it is almost certain that SGA will be given the MVP. There were still some rumors that Jokic might have had a chance, but those have almost certainly been laid to rest with the end of his postseason.

Another theory is that the award would have been announced after Game 7, being given to the victor. This also has dangerous implications.

If the trophy were given to the winner directly after a series win, the NBA risks sending a message that postseason performance impacts regular-season awards.

Awards are strictly based on regular-season performance, so this could begin to blur some lines. This year’s regular season already fostered one of the most heated MVP debates in recent years.

SGA led the Thunder to have one of the best seasons in NBA history while leading in scoring. On the other side, Jokic had one of the single best statistical seasons the league may ever see.

Even though voting has already been completed, announcing the award directly after Game 7 would add unnecessary drama.

NBA MVP Announcement Soon?

The short answer? Yes. Expect an announcement in the coming days, especially before the start of the Western Conference Finals. If it is not announced soon, the NBA will have some serious explaining to do.

If SGA is the MVP, as many believe, then why did they not just announce the award in the first round? Did the NBA want to give the Thunder star the award in front of Jokic, but did not expect Denver to put up a fight?

If Jokic were to be given the trophy, the same questions would arise. Was the NBA holding out for a better time to present the award, and are they now in a tough spot?

No matter the outcome, an answer should be given in the coming days.

End Of My MVP Rant

With this year’s MVP being one of the most intensely debated topics in recent seasons, it is no wonder that people are getting impatient. It appears the NBA has waited for the perfect moment and it has back fired.

Best case scenario, SGA is given the award at the start of Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves. In all other scenarios, it is a bad look for the league, having made fans wait so long. A nice change to future seasons would be to have the awards announced between the end of the regular season and before the playoffs.