In late April, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard was named as the winner of the 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. He put together a very strong season for a potent team and, in the process, became a first-time recipient of the honor. In advance of the 2025-26 season, there is already speculation brewing as to who might crash the party and win the award.
It is worth noting that, unlike other award pursuits, this is an honor that has clearly defined criteria, meaning that the player pool can vary wildly. For example, a player could simply start too many games, either due to a coach's decision or due to injuries to other players on their team. As such, it can be difficult to prognosticate this award race before the season even begins, but this space will include an effort to highlight the eight leading candidates as of mid-September.
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Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
Reid is one of two previous winners that are on the list. The Wolves big man won the award in 2023-24 when he shot the lights out (41.5 percent) for a strong Minnesota team. Last season, Reid received votes again and, in 2025-26, he profiles to be in a very similar role again. Minnesota has Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle as its incumbent starters, but Reid is the kind of candidate that makes a ton of sense due to his ability to put up numbers and the reality that the Wolves are a good team.
De'Andre Hunter, Cleveland Cavaliers
In some betting markets, Hunter is actually the preseason favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year. He is a high-scoring forward who projects to close some games for the potent Cavaliers, and Hunter was largely in a reserve role for both Atlanta and Cleveland last season. If he remains as the No. 1 bench option in Cleveland, the path is clear. The danger could be that Hunter starts too often, particularly with Max Strus already injured for the Cavaliers.
Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers
McCain was the early betting favorite for Rookie of the Year last season before suffering an injury after only 23 games. The talented guard put up 15.3 points per game on 58.9 percent true shooting, and McCain could repeat that kind of showing again over a larger sample. It isn't overly clear who will start next to Tyrese Maxey in Philadelphia's backcourt, but if McCain slots into a third guard role, he's in the mix here.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks
Alexander-Walker doesn't project to have the one thing traditionally needed to win Sixth Man of the Year, and that is a lot of points scored. However, the newly-acquired Atlanta Hawks guard is guaranteed a prominent role, and he finished seventh in 6MOY voting a year ago in Minnesota. Alexander-Walker is a better player than his box-score numbers indicate, but if the Hawks have a big season, he could receive his just due for his impact.
Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies
Jerome was the third-place finisher a season ago in Cleveland, averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists per game with elite efficiency. He did change teams this summer, but Jerome may be in a very similar role to the one he occupied in Cleveland. If he shoots the way he did with the Cavs, headlined by 43.9 percent from 3-point range, then Jerome could be dangerous.
Alex Caruso, Oklahoma City Thunder
Like Alexander-Walker, Caruso is not the kind of player who is going to put up huge counting stats. He also may not play as many games as some other Sixth Man of the Year candidates, but everyone recognizes just how potent Caruso is on defense. Oklahoma City is also in line for a ton of wins, and any list has to include Caruso.
Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks
This is a tricky one in that Okongwu finished the 2024-25 season as the starting center for the Hawks, but Atlanta acquired Kristaps Porzingis during the summer. As such, Okongwu may not play as much, but this is a big man who averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game over the last 40 contests last year. If he plays 25 minutes a game, the numbers should come, and he might end up with that kind of a role, particularly if Porzingis does not play more than 55 or 60 games.
Payton Pritchard OR Anfernee Simons, Boston Celtics
We're cheating a bit by including two players for one spot here. As noted above, Pritchard is the reigning champion, and he would clearly be on this list... unless he starts too often. Boston will be starting Derrick White in the backcourt, but Pritchard or Anfernee Simons could be coming off the bench. Whichever player it is would be capable of putting up the requisite numbers to compete for this award, as we saw a year ago with Pritchard.