Will Cade Cunningham be Awarded the NBA’s Most Improved Player 2024-25?
Will Cade Cunningham be Awarded the NBA’s Most Improved Player 2024-25?
What is the Most Improved Player Award?
The Most Improved Player Award is one of many accolades handed out at the end of the regular season. It is given to the player who is deemed to have made the most progress over the campaign compared to previous years. A panel of sportswriters from the USA and Canada will vote for this award, casting first, second and third place selections. The participant with the highest number of points will be crowned the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
The NBA are keen to clarify that this award cannot be given to a player who is making a comeback and nominees must have played a minimum number of games to be eligible. Each player must have played a minimum of 20 minutes across 65 regular season games to put themselves in the running for this award.
The award was first handed out in 1985 and has yet to be won by the same player and only four winners have subsequently clinched in the NBA Championship including 2016-17 winner Giannis Antekounmpo.
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MIP Watch: Odds & Prediction for the 2024/25 NBA Most Improved Player
| # | Bet Options | Chance to Win | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied Projected Winner Cade Cunningham | 57.44% | ||
| Implied Projected Winner Evan Mobley | 16.67% | ||
| Implied Projected Winner Tyler Herro | 14.29% |
The BEO betting odds imply that Cade Cunningham is most likely to be awarded the NBA Most Improved Player 2024-25 ::: Discover the current Odds now HEREÂ
Previous Winners
The inaugural award was given to Alvin Robertson, who played for the San Antonio Spurs. Other previous winners from the 1980s include Kevin Duckworth and Kevin Ellis. Gheorghe Muresan was the first European-born player to receive the award in 1995-96. A further six European-born players have been crowned the NBA’s Most Improved Player including France’s Boris Diaw, Slovenia’s Goran Dragic and the aforementioned Giannis Antekounmpo.
Pascal Siakam is the only African-born player to have received the award. The Cameroon-born forward enjoyed a tremendous 2018-19 season for the Toronto Raptors.
Recent winners include the Pelican’s Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Ja Morant. The 2023-24 Most Improved Player award was given to Tyrese Maxey, who enjoyed a standout season for the Philadelphia 76ers.
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2024-25 Most Improved Player Award
Cade Cunningham leads the way when it comes to the Most Improved Player Award. He has passed the 65-game threshold despite suffering a calf injury at the end of March 2025. The Pistons suffered a forgettable campaign last year going 14-68, but they have turned things around and Cunningham has spearheaded this miraculous reverse.
Since being drafted in 2021, he’s endured injury woes and record-breaking losses, but he has shown tremendous strength of characters and has helped the Pistons to become the first team in NBA history to triple their win total from the previous season.
He’s averaging 25.7 points per game, 9.2 assists per game and a field goal percentage of 42.5%. Jerry Stackhouse was the last Pistons player to average over 25 points per match back in 2000-01.
Cleveland Cavaliers Evan Mobley is also amongst the candidates and has been averaging 18.5 points per game this season. He has improved his total from last year, however, his numbers have steadily improved and this accolade tends to focus on players who have dramatically altered their numbers.
Tyler Herro has been leading the charge for Miami Heat this season and is a worthy candidate. With Jimmy Butler leaving, Herro has taken the lead for the franchise this season and has put himself front and centre. His eye-catching performances are likely to earn him plenty of votes. He’s up to an average of 23.7 PPG so far this season with 5.6 assists per game also aiding his cause.
