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.
Who’s the leader to win the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy in 2025? Here’s our list now that the 2024 NBA Draft is complete.
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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 |
| Alexandre Sarr | +650 |
| Zach Edey | +700 |
| Zaccharie Risacher | +750 |
| Dalton Knecht | +850 |
| Reed Sheppard | +1000 |
| Matas Buzelis | +1000 |
| Stephon Castle | +1000 |
| Ron Holland II | +1500 |
| Rob Dillingham | +1500 |
| Donovan Clingan | +2000 |
| Cody Williams | +2000 |
| Devin Carter | +2500 |
| Tidjane Salaun | +3000 |
| Carlton Cunningham | +3000 |
| Jared McCain | +4500 |
| Kel’el Ware | +5000 |
| Tristan Da Silva | +10000 |
| Ja’Kobe Walter | +10000 |
| Isaiah Collier | +10000 |
| Terrence Shannon | +10000 |
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:
- Cody Williams, Utah Jazz
- Devin Carter, Sacramento Kings
- Tidjane Salaun, Charlotte Hornets
- Carlton Carrington, Washington Wizards
- Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers
- Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat
- Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic
- Ja’Kobe Walter, Toronto Raptors
- Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz
- Terrence Shannon, Minnesota Timberwolves
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10. 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. 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.
9. Rob Dillingham, Minnesota Timberwolves
No one expected the Minnesota Timberwolves to end up with Rob Dillingham. But they aggressively traded up to the eighth pick to secure their point guard of the future. Described as a “1 who’s a bucket,” Dillingham is expected to be in the rotation right away for an already potent Timberwolves team. If he can provide juice off the bench, he has a very outside shot at competing for Rookie of the Year, but he’ll likely lose out to others who have the chance to start.
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8. Ron Holland II, Detroit Pistons
Ron Holland may have a hard time scoring enough points to win this season’s Rookie of the Year. But there should be plenty of minutes available in Detroit for the fifth overall pick. If Holland can steal minutes from last season’s fifth overall pick Amen Thompson, he may put up enough peripheral numbers to have an impressive stat sheet, but he’ll have a lot of competition.
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7. Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
Reed Sheppard’s likely to come off the bench behind Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green, but you can bet the former Duke sharpshooter will come in firing. 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.
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6. Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls
A Chicago native, Matas Buzelis is right where he wants to be in the Windy City. The 6-foot-10 forward should get plenty of minutes on a Bulls team still searching for an identity. Possessing an impressive mix of scoring and explosiveness, Buzelis should be considered a sleeper to compete for the NBA’s ROTY award.
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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. He’ll likely also be given the starting point guard job from day one, where he’ll get to terrorize defenses alongside Victor Wembanyama.
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4. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
One of the best sharpshooters in the draft, Dalton Knecht landed in a dream scenario with the Los Angeles Lakers. Who better to coach him than JJ Redick? Knecht is looking at a bench role, but he’s the perfect complement to help space the floor next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis in LA.
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3. 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.
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2. 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 also showed he can swat shots away at the rim with ease, after averaging 2.2 blocks per game at Purdue. If those skills translate to the NBA, the Grizzlies will have a hard time taking him off the floor.
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1. Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards
The biggest reason why Sarr has the best chance among first-year players to win NBA Rookie of the Year is because there isn’t much else on the Wizards right now. He’ll have no trouble earning a starting role, where he’ll form a potentially dangerous frontcourt with Jonas Valanciunas. 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.
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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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