The 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year race didn’t feature a lot of intrigue. While Chet Holmgren put up a strong fight, it was Victor Wembanyama’s trophy from the moment he arrived in the NBA as a generational talent.
Now, as we look ahead to the 2024-25 season, we have a new list of candidates leading the way. Only this time, the No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, isn’t viewed as a frontrunner.
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2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year odds
Before we discuss the list of candidates, let’s consider who sportsbooks consider the best odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year.
Here are the players with the best odds to win NBA ROTY in 2025:
| Player | NBA ROY odds |
| Zach Edey | +320 |
| Zaccharie Risacher | +320 |
| Carlton Cunningham | +600 |
| Alexandre Sarr | +750 |
| Stephon Castle | +1300 |
| Jared McCain | +1300 |
| Jaylen Wells | +2000 |
| Ryan Dunn | +2000 |
| Kyle Filipowski | +2500 |
| Dalton Knecht | +2500 |
| Yves Missi | +3000 |
| Jamal Shead | +3000 |
| Kyshawn George | +3500 |
| Donovan Clingan | +5000 |
| Ron Holland II | +7500 |
| Reed Sheppard | +7500 |
| Cody Williams | +7500 |
| Tristan Da Silva | +10000 |
| Tidjane Salaun | +15000 |
| Matas Buzelis | +15000 |
| Kel’el Ware | +20000 |
| Isaiah Collier | +20000 |
| Bronny James | +100000 |
Below is Sportsnaut’s list of NBA Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2024-25 season, in reverse order.
Honorable mentions to win NBA Rookie of the Year:
- Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz
- Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns
- Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic
- Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
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10. Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
Reed Sheppard has the ability to put up points in bunches, but he’ll have to contribute in other areas to become a leading candidate to win Rookie of the Year. First, he’d have to earn more than 12 minutes per game to make a serious push.
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9. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
Expect the Portland Trail Blazers to make Donovan Clingan a big part of their rotation after selecting him with the seventh overall pick later in the season. After winning two National Championships at UConn, the 7-foot-2 center has proven he’s capable of helping teams win right away. Now we’ll get a chance to see if that carries over to the pros, but for now he’s stuck behind Deandre Ayton.
8. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans let their starting center go this offseason but replaced him with Yves Missi, a 20-year-old Belgian native. Since becoming the 21st overall pick, Missi ranks third among rookies in rebounding and blocks. His scoring has room for improvement, which likely restricts Missi’s chances of winning Rookie Of The Year.
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7. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Thirty-eight players were selected before Jaylen Wells, but he’s taking advantage of a beaten-up Grizzlies team while the opportunity is there. Wells ranks third among rookies in scoring, thanks to a red-hot 39.2% 3-point shooting percentage, but he’s not doing much more than scoring.
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6. Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers
Multiple Philadelphia 76ers injuries have thrust Jared McCain into a bigger role as a rookie, and the 16th overall pick has done well with his opportunity. McCain’s been extremely efficient, shooting 35.9% from distance without missing a single free throw thus far. He’s also one of four rookies averaging more than 11 PPG.
5. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
Stephon Castle landed in one of the best situations among all rookies. Not only is he joining a San Antonio Spurs franchise known for player development, he gets to learn from future Hall of Famers in Gregg Popovich and Chris Paul. While Castle was an effective scorer in college, he’s shooting just 37% from the field and 22% from distance early on.
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4. Carlton ‘Bub’ Carrington, Washington Wizards
Like his fellow rookie teammate Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington there are plenty of minutes up for grabs in Washington’s rotation on one of the worst teams in the NBA. After being selected 14th overall, Carrington has run away with a starting job, where he leads all rookies in assists per game.
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3. Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards
The biggest reason why Sarr has a good chance to win NBA Rookie of the Year is because there isn’t much else on the Wizards right now. If the 7-foot-1 Sarr can continue growing as a scorer while providing excellent defense, he can win this year’s award, but he has a lot of challengers standing in his path. Shooting just 33% is the biggest impediment to Sarr winning the award for now.
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2. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks
He may have been the first overall pick, but this is still Trae Young’s team, and he’s not suddenly going to reduce his scoring load. Zaccharie Risacher can help the Hawks in a number of ways, but he could have some growing pains, both offensively and defensively as he transitions to the NBA. So far, he leads all rookies in scoring and averages two stocks per game, making him an early candidate to win NBA’s ROTY award.
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1. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
Players just aren’t built like the 7-foot-4, 305-pound Zach Edey. A potentially dominant presence in the paint, he’s also shown he can swat shots away at the rim and even impact passing lanes. Leading all rookies in rebounds per game, while ranking fourth in scoring, Edey’s the early frontrunner to win NBA Rookie Of The Year.
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Who won the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year?
After leading all first-year players by averaging 21.4 PPG and 10.6 RPG, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs won the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Wembanyama became the second consecutive No. 1 pick to win ROTY after Paolo Banchero started the streak. Can Zaccharie Risacher make it a trend?
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Has anyone won MVP and Rookie of the Year NBA?
Both Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld have won MVP and Rookie of the Year in the NBA in the same season. A total of 16 players have won both throughout their careers. But doing so in the same year hasn’t been done since Unseld in 1969.
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