Fresh off lifting his first Most Valuable Player award, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid got the better of the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić once again.

Embiid claimed the sole center spot on the All-NBA first team, with Jokić falling to the second team.

All-NBA First Team

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder 
• Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks 
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks 
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics 
• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

All-NBA Second Team

• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers 
• Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics 
• Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat 
• Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

All-NBA Third Team

• De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings 
• Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers 
• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers 
• Julius Randle, New York Knicks
• Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Here are the voting results for the 15 spots:

Before the teams were announced, ESPN's Bobby Marks noted contract situations that hinged on the voting.

Keeping the core together just got more expensive for the Boston Celtics, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown garnering All-NBA honors.

Questions about the Tatum-Brown partnership and whether it provides a path to a title seemed to be put to bed with Boston's run to the 2022 NBA Finals. Now that the team is on the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals, though, those concerns might surface once again.

The prospect of paying the duo more than $600 million could have the Boston front office debating difficult topics.

In the case of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, his nine-game absence toward the end of the regular season might have dealt a fatal blow to his All-NBA hopes. He was suspended by the league for eight games and spent time in a counseling program after he brandished a firearm in a club in a video posted to social media.

With such a deep well of candidates at the guard position, Morant's suspension likely made a difference in his not being recognized.

Kevin Durant missed out on the All-NBA team for the third time in four years, a reflection of how much injuries have kept him off the court. There's no question the 13-time All-Star had the production to qualify (29.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 56.0 FG%), but he was limited to 47 games with the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns.

No matter how well a player performs, it's tough for voters to overlook missing nearly half the season.

De'Aaron Fox's first All-NBA selection was icing on the cake for the Sacramento Kings star after he enjoyed a career year.

Fox averaged 25.0 points, 6.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game with 51.2 percent shooting as the Kings finished third in the Western Conference. His effort in the first round of the playoffs against the defending champion Golden State Warriors (27.4 PPG, 7.7 APG, 5.4 RPG, 2.1 SPG) cemented his breakout.

As was the case with All-Star nods, Domantas Sabonis joined his Kings teammate on the All-NBA third team. The 7'1" center averaged 19.1 points per game and led the NBA in rebounds with 12.3 per game.

Many fans were puzzled when the Kings acquired Sabonis last February at the cost of dynamic young guard Tyrese Haliburton. It looked like a case of trading long-term value for a limited short-term return.

Instead, general manager Monte McNair—who was named NBA Executive of the Year last week—is getting the last laugh with Fox and Sabonis forming the backbone of a contender.

It might be a few years before the Oklahoma City Thunder hit that level, but their future remains bright with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the cornerstone.

The fifth-year guard took his game to a new level in 2022-23 with 31.4 points per game. His 11.4 win shares were the fifth-most in the Association, per Basketball Reference.

The Thunder are bound to turn their bounty of first-round draft picks into ready-made talent to help their rebuild advance to the next stage. Given Gilgeous-Alexander's emergence, that process might kick into gear sooner rather than later.