2026 NBA Finals MVP: Odds, Sleepers & Best Bets

The NBA Finals are going to party like it's 1999. That's because we have a replay of the 1999 Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

But this time the narrative is much different. Back then, the Knicks were basically a two-headed monster led by Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston, who took the bulk of the shots. This time, the New Yorkers are an ensemble cast, with many ways to defeat opponents. The Knicks have done this in 11 straight games.

This series has its share of stars, and one superstar who might one day earn a place on the Mount Rushmore of the league. But, unlike most Finals, this series has a slew of players who can make a huge impact.

The NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award odds offer a chance to potentially turn a throwaway bet into a big payday. The pre-series odds used in this article are from DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Odds Favorites for NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

According to DraftKings, these players are the favorites to win the award:

• Victor Wembanyama: -185
• Jalen Brunson: +210
• Karl-Anthony Towns: +2000
• OG Anunoby: +4000
• Stephon Castle: +5000
• De'Aaron Fox: +10000
• Mikal Bridges: +15000
• Josh Hart: +15000
• Dylan Harper: +20000
• Devin Vassell: +40000
• Julian Champagnie: +70000

What type of players win the NBA Finals MVP?

Since 2009, when the NBA Finals MVP was named for Bill Russell, there probably hasn't been a player who has entered the league with more traits of Russell to become a superstar than Victor Wembanyama. In his third NBA season, Wembanyama won the Defensive Player of the Year award, a trophy named for Hakeem Olajuwon.

Wembanyama changes the game more than any player with his defensive prowess. But will that be enough to win him the Finals MVP? The honor, though named for Russell, a man known for his defense and rebounding, usually goes to a scorer.

• Since 1983, 36 of the 43 Finals MVPs have been players who took the most shots from the field for their team.

The exceptions have been Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant (the second time he won the award), Andre Iguodala, Kawhi Leonard (his first award), Paul Pierce, and Chauncey Billups.

In a few cases, a defender has been rewarded, as in Iguodala and Leonard to a degree. It's clear, though, that Wembanyama, as his "Unicorn" nickname suggests, is unique.

In the conference finals, Wemby took by far the most shots from the floor for his team. But De'Aaron Fox was out of the lineup for many of those games. In the second round, it was Fox, not Wembanyama, who took the most shots. The same was true in the opening round.

With Fox back, and with Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and even teenager Dylan Harper getting more shots, it will be interesting to see how many offensive opportunities Wembanyama gets. At times in the series against the Thunder, Wembanyama was more effective as a decoy, dishing the ball to an open teammate after the opposing team collapsed two and sometimes three defenders on him.

Jalen Brunson Handles the Knicks' Offense

On the New York side, Jalen Brunson makes sense as the favorite to win the NBA Finals MVP. He not only shoots the rock and drives to the rim: he also handles the ball a lot. That means he has chances to make plays for his teammates, something that helped Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, and Chauncey Billups win the award without necessarily being the primary scorer.

Brunson can be remarkably efficient: he's scored 30+ points this postseason twice when taking fewer than 20 shots. The Knicks offense isn't the 1990s Bulls: "Get the ball to Michael and everyone else get the hell out of the way!"

The Knicks' other possibilities are Karl-Anthony Towns, who launches his share of threes, and OG Anunoby, who has the defensive chops and ability to put together double-doubles, especially if his 3-point shot finds a groove.

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Sleeper Pick

If Wembanyama doesn't light up the stat sheet, who could secure the NBA Finals MVP should the Spurs win, as I suspect they will?

My sleeper pick is Devin Vassell, the 6'5 swingman in his sixth NBA season. While Vassell has seen his offensive workload lighten in recent years, he's averaged 19.5 PPG as recently as 2024. He can drain the 3-point shot, and he's also a threat to worm his way inside for valuable tip-ins.

After averaging 10 shots per game in the second round against Minnesota, Vassell averaged 11 in the conference finals. He made 4.0 3-pointers per game against the Thunder, with a high of six.

• Devin Vassell To Win NBA Finals MVP (+50000 from FanDuel)

A winning $10 bet on Vassell would return $5,000.

Recent NBA Finals MVP Winners

The NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award was first awarded in 1969. It was named for Hall of Famer Bill Russell in 2009. That spring, Kobe Bryant was the first player to win the honor under its new name.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: 2025
• Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: 2024
• Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets: 2023
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: 2022
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: 2021
• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: 2020
• Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors: 2019
• Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors: 2018
• Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors: 2017
• LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: 2016

*Stat courtesy of the NBA*

Best bet for NBA Finals MVP

Obviously, you need to make a decision on which team will WIN the NBA Finals before making an MVP pick. No losing player has ever won the award.

The Spurs have depth, are more athletic, and have the biggest game-changer in their lineup: Wembanyama. The giant Spur has already done amazing things in his first postseason: 12 blocks in a game, and 35+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ blocks in a game (just the third player to do that).

• BEST BET: Victor Wembanyama To Win NBA Finals MVP (-185 DraftKings)