Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (+210) is the new leader in the betting odds race for 2026 NBA Most Improved Player honors, with five other players currently possessing greater than an 11-to-1 shot at the hardware.
Avdija ranks 14th across the Association in scoring at 25.5 points through 26 appearances, which is a jump of 8.6 points year over year.
Here's a look at where all contenders currently sit in contention for the George Mikan trophy.
Terms and Conditions
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Fees may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 10/19/25. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/
Terms and Conditions
New customers only. Deposit min. $10. Place first bet of min $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your bet wins.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
21+ and present in OH.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
21+ and present in OH.
2026 NBA Most Improved Player Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Deni Avdija | Portland Trail Blazers | +210 |
| Jalen Johnson | Atlanta Hawks | +400 |
| Austin Reaves | Los Angeles Lakers | +550 |
| Jalen Duren | Detroit Pistons | +650 |
| Josh Giddey | Chicago Bulls | +1100 |
| Ryan Rollins | Milwaukee Bucks | +1100 |
| Keyonte George | Utah Jazz | +2000 |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Atlanta Hawks | +4000 |
| Collin Gillespie | Phoenix Suns | +5000 |
| Dillon Brooks | Phoenix Suns | +6000 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | Brooklyn Nets | +6000 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | Indiana Pacers | +7500 |
| Amen Thompson | Houston Rockets | +10000 |
| Andrew Nembhard | Indiana Pacers | +10000 |
| Alexandre Sarr | Washington Wizards | +10000 |
| Kyshawn George | Washington Wizards | +10000 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | Portland Trail Blazers | +15000 |
| Stephon Castle | San Antonio Spurs | +15000 |
| Kel'el Ware | Miami Heat | +15000 |
| Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | +15000 |
| Payton Pritchard | Boston Celtics | +15000 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Miami Heat | +15000 |
Odds as of December 18, 2025 at FanDuel Sportsbook
Terms and Conditions
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Fees may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 10/19/25. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/
Past 10 NBA Most Improved Player Winners
| Year | Player | Team | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dyson Daniels | Atlanta Hawks | +6600 |
| 2024 | Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers | +1050 |
| 2023 | Lauri Markkanen | Utah Jazz | N/A |
| 2022 | Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies | +3000 |
| 2021 | Julius Randle | New York Knicks | +2000 |
| 2020 | Brandon Ingram | New Orleans Pelicans | +4000 |
| 2019 | Pascal Siakam | Toronto Raptors | N/A |
| 2018 | Victor Oladipo | Indiana Pacers | +2500 |
| 2017 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | N/A |
| 2016 | CJ McCollum | Portland Trail Blazers | N/A |
NBA Most Improved Player Winners By Team
| Awards | Team | Years | Most Recent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Indiana Pacers | 2000, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2018 | Victor Oladipo (2018) |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | 1991, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2012 | Ryan Anderson (2012) |
| 3 | Washington Wizards | 1992, 1994, 1996 | Gheorghe Muresan (1996) |
| 3 | Phoenix Suns | 1989, 2006, 2014 | Goran Dragic (2014) |
| 3 | Portland Trail Blazers | 1988, 2004, 2016 | CJ McCollum (2016) |
| 2 | Miami Heat | 1990, 1997 | Isaac Austin (1997) |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors | 2003, 2007 | Monta Ellis (2007) |
| 2 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1995, 2024 | Tyrese Maxey (2024) |
| 2 | Atlanta Hawks | 1998, 2025 | Dyson Daniels (2025) |
NBA Most Improved Player Winners By Position
| Position | MIP Wins |
|---|---|
| Power Forward | 10 |
| Point Guard | 9 |
| Shooting Guard | 9 |
| Small Forward | 7 |
| Center | 5 |
NBA Teams With Zero Most Improved Player Winners
The following teams have never had an NBA Most Improved Player winner: Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and Sacramento Kings.
How To Read NBA Most Improved Player Odds
When you visit your NBA betting site of choice, you’ll notice 2025-26 NBA Most Improved Player odds laid out like this:
- Deni Avdija (+1000)
It's like a moneyline bet where favorites are shown by the minus sign (-) and underdogs have a plus sign (+). In this scenario, Deni Avdija is favored despite being at plus money. If you were to bet $100 on Kuminga in the NBA Most Improved Player betting odds and it hits, you would win $1100 – your $100 is returned and you would get $1000 in profit.
If you were to bet on which player will be named Most Improved Player, you would make a futures bet.
What Is A Futures Bet?
This is a bet made on events that will happen in time. In this case, it’s Most Improved Player. To make a futures bet, you would first use the handicapping info on this page to make your decision. Our Odds Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the Most Improved Player odds and the amount of money you bet.
