Victor Wembanyama wants the MVP award, and wants to leave no doubt by season's end

MIAMI (AP) — Victor Wembanyama is making it clear: He wants to win the NBA's MVP award this season.

The San Antonio star — moments after his team officially clinched its first Southwest Division title in nine seasons — detailed some elements of his MVP case on Monday night after the red-hot Spurs beat the Miami Heat 136-111 for their 22nd win in their last 24 games.

“I have thought about it," Wembanyama said. "I think right now there is a debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race. I'm trying to make sure that at the end of the season, there's no debate.”

Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 blocked shots per game. Only six players have finished a season with such numbers — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it five times, Hakeem Olajuwon did it twice, while Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson all did it once. The sixth player on that list? That would be Wembanyama, who did all that last season as well, albeit in only 46 games.

The reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is the overwhelming favorite to win the trophy again according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Next on the BetMGM list: the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic.

Wembanyama is next, with the third-best odds as of Monday, one spot ahead of Denver's Nikola Jokic. Everyone else would be considered a significant long shot for the award at this point, though the NBA's 65-game rule for major award eligibility — like MVP — could become a factor. Jokic can miss only one more game, for example, before he falls off the ballot and Wembanyama can miss no more than three more contests.

Wembanyama, who won rookie of the year two years ago and was generally considered a lock for defensive player of the year last season until he had to be shut down while dealing with deep vein thrombosis, has a three-part campaign pitch.

“My first one would be that defense is 50% of the game and that it is undervalued so far in the MVP race. I believe I’m the most impactful player defensively in the league," Wembanyama said. "Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season, and we dominated them three times with their real team. ... The third argument would be that offense impact is not just points.”

It should not surprise anyone that the Spurs also believe Wembanyama is more than just an MVP contender.

“I think he’s close," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "All those guys you named are deserving; a couple of them already have that award. And I'm very biased. I get to see one of those guys every single night. I get to see him on the practice court. I get to see what he does in the morning. I get to see what does right now after the game. So, I understand my opinion and outlook and perspective is very different than almost everyone else.

“But he affects as much of the game in every single way — on the court, on both ends, with and without the ball, what the other team tries to do, plan for, scheme, adjust to, on both sides of the basketball, in my very ignorant opinion, as much as any other player I’ve ever seen. Take that for whatever it’s worth.”

The Spurs are 54-18. They're going to be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. They'll have home court in Round 1 of the playoffs, Round 2 if they get there and almost certainly would have it in the NBA Finals if they get that far. There are a lot of reasons for that, but the biggest reason — literally, given that Wembanyama is 7-foot-4 — is a 22-year-old face of the franchise who has wowed the Spurs every day with his maturity and work ethic.

The MVPs are almost certainly coming at some point. Wembanyama doesn't want to keep waiting.

“Right now, it is still reasonable that there is a debate," Wembanyama said. "But as I said, my goal is to make sure there’s no debate anymore at the end of the season.”

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San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) and forward Victor Wembanyama, second from right, reacts from the bench with their teammates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) goes for a rebound against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, left, front, goes for a rebound against Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner, left, rear, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) walks on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The European Union and Australia on Tuesday agreed on the final text of a free trade agreement, some two years after negotiations broke down over Australian demands for more red meat market access and complaints about Australian products labeled with traditionally European names such as prosecco.

The breakthrough comes as both the EU and Australia seek to diversify their trading networks and reduce their economic reliance on China and exposure to uncertain U.S. tariffs.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the agreement at the Australian Parliament House after protracted negotiations that began in 2018. The leaders said the pact demonstrated that both sides benefitted from rules-based trade.

“Today we are telling an important story to a world that is deeply changing. A world where great powers are using tariffs as a leverage and supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited," von der Leyen told reporters.

"In our story, open rules based trade delivers positive some outcomes. Trust matters more than transactions,” she added.

Albanese said the context in which the agreement was reached was an important factor in allowing negotiations that collapsed in October 2023 to restart.

“This is both the European Union and Australia asserting that we believe in free and fair trade, that we understand that trade advances the prosperity of both trading entities who are involved, that it is in our interest to get this done,” Albanese said.

The leaders also announced a new defense partnership that will bring closer military cooperation and the start of negotiations toward Australia becoming an associate of the research and innovation funding program Horizon Europe.

Albanese said the defense partnership would provide a framework for the EU and Australia to cooperate on global challenges, marking as areas of collaboration defense industries, maritime security, cyber security, countering terrorism and combating hybrid threats such as disinformation.

“It shows our shared commitment to global peace and security, including reaffirming our steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion,” Albanese said.

Albanese said the pact also removed tariffs on key Australian exports including wine, seafood and horticulture.

The EU will open two tariff rate quotas of a total of 30,600 metric tons (33,731 U.S. tons) for Australian red meat, with 55% of that duty free.

Under the trade deal, Australian producers of prosecco, traditionally a sparkling wine from northern Italy, will be banned from using the name on exports 10 years after the pact takes effect.

A start date for the pact has not been announced.

The pact will also help the EU secure supplies of critical raw materials including lithium and tungsten.

Hazel Moir, an economist from the Australian National University’s Center for European Studies, said that both the Europeans and Australians were keen to reach a deal in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's push to impose global tariffs.

“What’s changed is all of Trump’s behavior on tariffs. So everyone got nervous and they wanted to do other things,” Moir said.

Moir said it was too soon predict the impact on bilateral trade, as the agreement's full text has not yet been released.

An EU free trade deal with four South American countries will begin on May 1 after more than a quarter-century of negotiations and new global economic uncertainty.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center left, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shake hands after an agreedment on the final text of a free trade agreement at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, left, and Australian Minister for Trade, Don Farrell, right, look on. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shake hands after signing a joint statement during a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)