2026 NBA MVP Futures Betting Odds: Kevin Durant Joins The Fray

The NBA will be returning soon. We already had Summer League, which is always fun, but we don’t get a real look at how these teams look with their new rosters until the NBA preseason, which is now under a month away. With that in mind, we’re taking another look at some NBA futures betting markets for the upcoming season.

Next up, is the early race for next season’s MVP award. When we first looked at these odds the day after the 2025 NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic was slightly ahead of the 2025 MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, on this odds board. They have now flipped, and a future Hall of Famer in a new home has entered the chat as well. Check out the rest of the movement we’re seeing on this September odds board!

2025-2026 NBA MVP Futures Betting Market September Odds - September 8

All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

2025-2026 NBA MVP Futures Betting Market September Odds

Team	September Odds	June Odds
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	+225	+250
Nikola Jokic (DEN)	+250	+210
Luka Doncic (LAL)	+350	+750
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)	+1,000	+850
Victor Wembanyama (SAS)	+1,600	+1,400
Anthony Edwards (MIN)	+2,000	+1,100
Cade Cunningham (DET)	+4,000	+4,000
Kevin Durant (HOU)	+4,500	+8,000
Jalen Brunson (NYK)	+5,000	+3,300
Paolo Banchero (ORL)	+7,000	+8,000
Donovan Mitchell (CLE)	+10,000	+5,000
Trae Young (ATL)	+10,000	N/A
Stephen Curry (GSW)	+12,500	+10,000
Eight Players Tied	+15,000	N/A

Biggest Risers & Fallers

Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+750 → +350): Since we last checked on these odds, Luka Doncic has had arguably the most impactful jump. He was always third on the board, but back in June, Vegas seemed to think it was a two-horse race with the Joker and SGA. With these new +350 odds from betting apps, it’s clearly being touted as a three-horse race now. There are likely a few reasons for why the sportsbooks have become so bullish over Doncic after the summer.

He looks a lot better and more physically fit, for one. He has also been having a great summer at the EuroBasket tournament. Most importantly, though, is that the Lakers made moves to bring in DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart that make them real contenders. And as we’ve seen, you generally need to be on a top three team in your conference to be considered for the MVP. Doncic has always been an MVP contender thanks to his individual numbers, he just needs a team to match him in the win column.

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (+1,100 → +2,000): Anthony Edwards is consistently one of the best players in the league, and his career trajectory is still pointing upwards. For that reason, he’ll always be among the favorites. But we don’t consider him a serious candidate this season, and his odds ballooning up to +2,000 shows that others agree.

Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets (+8,000 → +4,500): This is the most intriguing jump on the board. When we last looked at these odds, Kevin Durant was still finalizing his move to the youthful Houston Rockets. They added some good size as well and they seem like they could be a No. 1 seed this season. If they are, Durant could definitely make the MVP race interesting.

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (+3,300 → +5,000): The public has really soured on the Knicks in the last couple of months. They added Jordan Clarkson and fired their head coach and didn’t do much else. Perhaps it’s simply the New York hype has died down since the Knicks’ fun playoff run, but we’d agree with these odds. You have to do something really, really special as a PG to win the MVP.

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (+5,000 → +10,000): The biggest mover on the board was Donovan Mitchell, who unfortunately saw his odds worsen by double over the summer. People just aren’t buying the Cavaliers anymore. They’re not a sexy or exciting pick, and Mitchell suffers from that. He will be a top 10 scorer on a top three seed in the East again, but that won’t be enough to escape the stink.