2018-19 NBA MVP favorites and odds

Timberwolves' All-Star forward Jimmy Butler did not mince words this summer when he said he wanted out of Minnesota. The front office is trying to make a deal with the Heat, but Butler has yet to return to practice as he continues to rehab from offseason wrist surgery. As much of a mess as this is, if Butler does join the Heat, he would be "the man" and have a chance to carve out a role as the face of the franchise.

Can he stay healthy? It's the annual $64,000 question. Paul missed 24 regular-season games and Game 6 and 7 of the Western Conference Finals last year. His 18.6 points and 7.9 assists per game of a season ago are nice, but he really needs to enter triple-double category to be considered an MVP candidate in this day and age.

About to enter his fourth NBA season, the 23-year-old stretch center truly embodies what today's NBA big man is all about. On top of the 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, Jokic averaged better than six assists per game and can shoot from beyond the arc. He's a long shot, but he's definitely a guy to watch out in Denver.

DeRozan can shoot. There's no debating that, as he's averaged better than 20 points per game in each of the past five seasons. However, what else does he bring to San Antonio's table? If Kawhi Leonard enjoyed playing for the Spurs, DeRozan isn't there and he'd remain one of several solid players on the Raptors' roster. Now, he's one of several solid players on the Spurs. Needs more sizzle.

After averaging career highs in both points (23.1) and assists (10.7) per game in 2016-17, Wall missed half of last season due to different knee injuries. It's safe to say that by sharing the floor with Bradley Beal, who some may argue is better than Wall, the nine-year veteran out of Kentucky will continue to have the odds stacked against him in the MVP race.

If you want to back a long shot, Oladipo may be your guy. In his first season with the Pacers, the 26-year-old averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 2.4 steals per game. You may also remember that he played out of his mind during the Eastern Conference Playoffs when he averaged 23 points and eight rebounds per contest. Oladipo took a huge step last season and with LeBron out of the East, he'll earn even more recognition as one of the conference's top stars.

While Jimmy Butler wants out, Karl-Anthony Towns isn't going anywhere. The Timberwolves locked up their franchise player for the next five years. If Butler departs, watch for Towns' scoring average to return to around 25 points per game, where it was before he arrived. If he really wants a shot at the MVP, though, he'll have to cut down on a career-high 3.5 fouls per game, which kept him on the bench and limited stat-sheet stuffing.

To borrow an analogy from another sport, we could be looking at a Barry Sanders/Calvin Johnson type situation out in Portland. Lillard may spend his whole career up in the Great Northwest and leave the game with not much to show for it except for an array of sexy stats. The guy is a star, and he's averaged 27 points per game over the past two seasons. However, like DeMar DeRozan, you need a little bit more juice to contend with the MVP favorites.

Surprise, surprise, surprise, Mitchell and Ben Simmons not only fought for last season's hotly contested Rookie of the Year Award, but they now share the same 2018-19 MVP odds. Mitchell is a 22-year-old NBA sophomore, so it'll be interesting to see how much he improves as a scorer Last season's 20.5 points per game on 43 percent shooting may be enough to contend for R.O.Y. but far from enough to be hearing MVP chants.

It may not be this year, but Simmons possesses a unique skill set that could lead him to an NBA MVP one day. If he can improve his outside shooting, he may have a shot, as Steve Nash proved a pass-first point guard can win this award, even if Simmons is eight inches taller.

Mr. Triple-Double, Westbrook averaged double-digit points, rebounds and assists for a second consecutive season. He's about to enter his 11th NBA season and with Paul George by his side, there's little doubt Westbrook could post a trib-doub three-peat. But it'll be interesting to see how the now 29-year-old handles the stat stuffing vs. winning now, as his hour glass begins to run low on sand.

One of the game's best ball-handlers of all time, Irving returns to a fully loaded Celtics starting lineup. Although he missed 22 regular-season and every playoff game last season, Irving still managed 24 points and five assists per game. However, that was without an active Gordon Hayward and before Jayson Tatum emerged as the franchise's next big star. There's too many mouths to feed in Boston for Irving to win the MVP this season. If an MVP matters to him, he should return to Cleveland.

Playing in 63 of 82 games last season, Embiid's 22.9 points per game ranked fourth among fellow power forwards. If he can increase his minutes per game and performs at the same rate as a season ago, he'll be the talk of the NBA on a regular basis.

If ever a picture so perfectly defined Steph Curry's play, it would be this one. Sometimes it feels like the guy is floating over the court. After winning back-to-back MVP honors in 2015 and 2016, Curry has endured a two-year dry spell. But then again when the Warriors added future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to the roster, most knew it would be tough for Curry to remain the center of attention. Curry remains one of the game's greats, but depending on how you define MVP, he's not the most valuable on his own team anymore.

Durant shot 41.9 percent from beyond the arc last season, which was the second-best rate of his career. He also saw an uptick in points and assists per game during his second season with the Warriors. Golden State is focused on winning titles and creating a dynasty and because of this, it'll be hard for any one member of the team to earn MVP-favorite status.

Leonard is a great defender and has proved to be a consistent shooter/scorer in the past. But after missing all but nine games last season due to a quad injury, the jury is out on whether or not he can capture MVP honors as a member of the Toronto Raptors. Don't forget: Kyle Lowry can fill it up too.

The Chris Paul-James Harden two-man game works well and allows for the latter to remain an MVP favorite. He just has to hope Carmelo Anthony's arrival doesn't dampen those expectations.

"The Greek Freak" is one of league's rising stars and must-see talents on the court today. Last season, he saw his points-per-game average jump four points to 26.9 and rebounds per game average tick up to 10 boards per contest. He won't turn 24 years old until December and has Milwaukee in position to contend for an Eastern Conference crown.

Whispers of Davis joining the Lakers have started, but he still has to finish strong with the Pelicans and do so without tag-team partner, DeMarcus Cousins. However, Cousins' decision to sign with the Warriors opens the door for Davis to average 30-plus points and 13-14 rebounds per game while maintaining a 50-percent-or-better shooting percentage. Those stats scream MVP, and what are the Pels without Davis?

Despite taking the Cavs to the NBA Finals four consecutive years and nearly averaging a regular season triple-double in each of the past two while also shooting better than 52 percent from the floor, King James hasn't won an NBA MVP Award since 2013. The Lakers missed the Western Conference playoffs by 12 games last season. If James can get them over the hump and into the playoffs in his first season while maintaining the stats he posted in Cleveland, the MVP will be his once again.