The betting markets suggest it’s a two-player battle for the Most Improved Player Award, as of Dec. 30, 2025. Deni Avdija is the marginal betting favorite ahead of Jalen Johnson at FanDuel, with a sizeable gap to third and fourth place in Jalen Duren and Keyonte George, who are +1100 and +1400, respectively. 

Ryan Rollins, who was atop our rankings four weeks ago, is at +2200. The top four we named earlier in the season is the same as the sportsbooks’ leading five candidates at the time of writing, with Michael Porter Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker the closest rivals to that quintet. 

1. Deni Avdija

Deni Avdija is part of an elite group. Avdija, Cade Cunningham, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, and Nikola Jokić are the only players averaging 26, six, and six. Avdija is at 6.9 dimes and 7.2 boards.

He’s almost doubled his free throw averages, while posting a marked increase in assists and scoring. The three ball hasn’t been falling at a high rate in December, but Avdija has been providing assists at a truly elite rate (8.6 per game). 

There’s also the small matter of 2.1 stocks per game in the final month of 2025. Avdija is doing it on both ends of the floor. His numbers are comparable to legitimate MVP candidates, and there’s no question he’d be on an All-NBA team if the season ended today. 

2. Ryan Rollins

Rollins has only had three games with 20+ points in December. His usage has dropped, but he’s been making shots at a decent rate and has been registering a more-than-useful 5.5 assists per game.

This award often goes to players making ‘The Leap’. Rollins isn’t necessarily doing that, and he hasn’t suddenly gone from good to great. There’s a compelling case for him to win this award, though, given how little of a factor he’d been for the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards in the first couple of years of his NBA career.

If he keeps his scoring average around 15 and keeps dishing assists on a regular basis, it’s more than reasonable for Rollins to win the Most Improved Player honor. He’s provided the Bucks with more value than anyone could reasonably have expected.

3. Jalen Duren

Jalen Duren is more than a super athlete. He’s more than a jump-out-the-gym finisher at the rim. He’s become one of the NBA’s better rim protectors and has used his physicality to earn free throws frequently.

Duren is averaging a career-high 18.2 points per game (13.8 was his previous career best). Detroit’s offense craters when he’s off the floor. The Pistons wouldn’t be where they are without Duren’s improvement, as they are +9.9 per 100 possessions in his minutes.

Anchoring an elite defense and a safe bet for a double-double on any given night, Duren might be the archetype of a traditional big man, but he’s one of the very best in that role. 

4. Keyonte George

George demonstrated how good a scorer he could be last season. This season, he has expanded on those flashes with much greater consistency. Only 20 players are scoring more points per game.

His free throw rate has skyrocketed, as has his assist rate. His win shares per 48 are almost quadruple his mark from last season. From a below league average true shooting in his first two seasons, George is up to five percent above the league average.

Pick out any area and you can see how dramatically George has improved. While he might never be the lead option on a contender, George has clearly become one of the NBA’s best scoring guards, and had eight games with 28 or more points in December, including a career-best 39 points against the Grizzlies. 

5. Michael Porter Jr.

It might seem harsh to leave Jalen Johnson off the top five. He’s having a brilliant, All-NBA-caliber season, but that standard was already set with his phenomenal performances prior to suffering a season-ending injury in 2024-25. 

Michael Porter Jr., meanwhile, was considered a weak link for the Nuggets. Used as salary matching in the Cam Johnson trade, Porter was thought to be one of the worst NBA contracts, and a perennial injury risk, despite being relatively healthy over the last three seasons.

On the Nets, Porter has transformed from spot-up shooter to a more versatile offensive performer. He’s beating people off the dribble on occasion, creating his own shots, and averaging a career-high 25 points per game. 

It’s unlikely Porter wins this award. Brooklyn isn’t exactly getting much national attention, and there will be suspicion his good stats are simply a result of being a good player on a bad team. Still, we are seeing more of the player that was the consensus top player in his draft class in high school.

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