Thunder News: New signings, Shai MVP voting leader, trade deadline, West battles

Shai for MVP

Joel Embiid looked ready to defend his MVP trophy this season, but a knee injury has dropped him below the threshold to qualify for the award. Who is in line to take his place? Tim Bontemps of ESPN did a survey of likely MVP voters to take the temperature of the MVP race, and it was close at the top.

Denver's Nikola Jokic won the poll with 809 total "points" and 69 first-place votes, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not far behind. He appeared on 99 of 100 ballots and scored 709 points, with 24 first-place votes. Between them, Jokic and SGA landed 93 of the 100 first-place votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander received only one first-place vote in the first iteration of the poll earlier this season, and as the Thunder have continued to stay at the top of the Western Conference standings his candidacy has only strengthened. In an interesting anecdote, Bontemps noted that the player in second-place in the poll each of the past two seasons at this point has gone on to win; Jokic winning in 2022 and Embiid in 2023.

West standings

Here is a snapshot of the Western Conference standings as of Tuesday morning:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves, 37-16
2. Oklahoma City Thunder, 36-17 (1 Game Back)
3. LA Clippers, 35-17 (1.5 GB)
4. Denver Nuggets, 36-18 (1.5 GB)
5. New Orleans Pelicans, 32-22 (5.5 GB)
6. Phoenix Suns, 31-22 (6 GB)

All-Star Weekend

This weekend will mark the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. Teams will get close to a week off of games, and many of the league's biggest stars will gather in Indianapolis to celebrate this weekend. The Thunder will be well-represented; not only will Gilgeous-Alexander be starting in the All-Star Game, but three players will be competing in the Rising Stars Game: Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace.

What's Next

The Oklahoma City Thunder have just one game remaining before the break, playing the Orlando Magic in Florida tonight. That game is on national television, a 7:30 PM ET tip on TNT (6:30 PM CST). From there, the Thunder will have a whopping 9 days off before they return to action hosting the LA Clippers on Thurday, February 22nd.