Tim Bontemps has revealed his official ballot for the NBA’s 2026 awards, outlining his selections across the league’s top individual honors while noting that multiple races remain tightly contested.
The ballot covers the full spectrum of major awards, including the league’s Most Valuable Player race, the competition for top rookie, and the Sixth Man of the Year debate. It also extends beyond single-winner categories to include end-of-season honors such as All-NBA selections.
A crowded awards landscape
In presenting his ballot, Bontemps frames this year’s awards picture as one defined by close calls, with several categories lacking clear separation. The release highlights how narrow the margins can be when weighing season-long impact across different roles—whether a player is carrying a starring workload, anchoring a second unit, or emerging as the top newcomer.
From individual trophies to league-wide recognition
Alongside MVP and other headline trophies, the ballot includes votes for the league’s broader honors, reflecting how end-of-season recognition often requires comparing players across positions, responsibilities and team contexts. The full ballot lays out Bontemps’ choices for each major category and the season’s top all-league distinctions.