What's at stake

One player's season-long defense will win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for 2025–26.

The award names the league's top individual defensive performer and influences contract leverage, All-Defensive recognition, and a player's defensive legacy.

Who's in play

Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Ausar Thompson lead the list of candidates named in the market.

Sportswriters and broadcasters cast the official votes, weighing statistics, team defensive profile, and standout plays; the market also contains many long-shot names from a broad pool.

What drives it

Defensive box-score metrics (blocks, steals), advanced stats (defensive win shares, defensive rating), and tracking data (rim protection, contesting) anchor evaluations.

Playing time, lineup fit, team defensive ranking, injury availability, and highlight-worthy shut-down performances shift voter attention over the season.

What to watch

Midseason checkpoints — the trade deadline and the stretch run of the regular season — reveal role changes and minutes that matter for defensive counting stats.

Track opponent shot charts, team defensive rating, blocks/steals trends, All-Defensive discussions, injury reports, and late-season marquee matchups where voters notice repeat shutdowns.