NBA 6th Man of the Year (6MOTY) Rankings 2024-25: Top 5 candidates after Week 15 ft. Nikola Jovic

The 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year (6MOTY) race lost some appeal over the past week amid lineup changes and inconsistent performances.

The award's frontrunner, Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter, moved into an apparent full-time starting role with his teammate Jalen Johnson (shoulder) out for the season.

Averaging 19.0 points per game, Hunter has comfortably led all qualified reserves in scoring. So, the sixth-year player's promotion could create a wide-open 6MOTY field over the campaign's final third.

Amid this week's shake-up, a new name has entered the 6MOTY discussion for the first time all season. Meanwhile, the early season favorite, Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard, has slipped out of the top five amid a prolonged underwhelming stretch.

On that note, here are the top five 6MOTY hopefuls following Week 15.

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Top 5 2024-25 NBA 6th Man of the Year (6MOTY) contenders after Week 15

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#5 Santi Aldama

Memphis Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama (Image Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)

Memphis Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama has had his ups and downs in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the versatile 6-foot-11 player has been the most impactful reserve for a second-seeded Memphis squad (35-16) leading the NBA in bench scoring (46.3 ppg).

Aldama has had his fair share of standout showings, including his 23-point, eight-rebound performance during Sunday's 132-119 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Across 43 contests, including 32 off the bench, Aldama is averaging 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.7 3-pointers per game. Meanwhile, he is shooting 48.9% and 37.0% from deep, serving as a respectable outside shooting threat.

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#4 Ty Jerome

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Ty Jerome (Image Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images)

Ty Jerome's minutes typically fluctuate night to night. However, he has been a rock-solid backup point guard all season, scoring efficiently and playmaking for the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (41-10).

Jerome has also shown the ability to step up offensively when Cleveland is shorthanded. The sixth-year guard has tallied 12-plus points and five-plus assists in four of his past five appearances.

Through 48 outings, including 46 off the pine, Jerome is averaging 11.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 spg and 1.4 3pg on elite 52.0/43.1/89.0 shooting splits.

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#3 Nikola Jovic

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (Image Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Much of the focus in Miami has been on Heat superstar forward Jimmy Butler's recently granted trade request. However, third-year forward Nikola Jovic has quietly been putting up well-rounded numbers.

Jovic has showcased considerable improvements as a shooter and playmaker. He has scored in double figures in six straight outings, including consecutive 20-plus point outings.

The Serbian is coming off a season-best 23-point performance with five rebounds, seven assists and three treys during Wednesday's 108-101 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Across 40 appearances, including 30 off the bench, Jovic is averaging 11.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.9 apg, 0.9 spg and 1.8 3pg. Meanwhile, he has strong 46.9/39.3/83.5 shooting splits.

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#2 Malik Beasley

Detroit Pistons shooting guard Malik Beasley (Image Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

Detroit Pistons shooting guard Malik Beasley is coming off a two-point dud during Wednesday's last-second 118-115 home loss to Cleveland. However, the veteran sharpshooter was on a roll before that, nailing three-plus 3s in eight straight games. Meanwhile, he scored 17 or more points in seven of those outings.

Beasley remains second in the NBA in total triples (191), with his remarkable long-range shooting tally bolstering his 6MOTY case.

Through 51 contests, including 40 off the pine, Beasley is averaging 16.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.9 spg and 3.7 3pg. Meanwhile, he is shooting 43.0% and 40.8% from downtown.

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#1 Naz Reid

Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (Image Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images)

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid has assumed a starting position over the last three games with star forward Julius Randle (groin) sidelined. The three-time All-Star is slated to be re-evaluated in two weeks, which could hurt Reid's chances of repeating as 6MOTY.

However, for now, Reid is still more than qualified for the award, having played 94.0% of his games as a reserve.

Over his past two contests, the floor-spacing big has thrived as a fill-in starter, recording 52 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, four blocks and nine triples on 52.6% shooting. That includes his season-high 30-point eruption during Monday's 116-114 home loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Across 50 appearances, including 47 off the bench, Reid is averaging 14.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.8 bpg and 2.2 3pg, shooting 48.7% and 42.2% from outside.

For last week's 6MOTY rankings, click here.