NBA Rookie of the Year Odds (2025)

Though the primary focus of the NBA season is currently on the playoffs and which team will walk away as NBA Champion, it is never too early to look forward to the NBA awards. Much like the race for NBA MVP, the NBA Rookie of the Year award seems all but wrapped up.

What began as a race between high draft picks has since turned into a very likely back-to-back sweep of the award for the San Antonio Spurs. Last year, mega star Victor Wembanyama won the award going away, and now his teammate should do the same. Let’s get into the odds and who will win the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

Castle is an interesting choice but the most obvious. He was solid throughout much of the season but put a stranglehold on the award after Wembanyama, as mentioned above, went down with an injury in the second half of the season.

With a major uptick in minutes played, Castle became a major player for the Spurs. He ultimately finished second in rookie scoring with 14.7 points per game and fourth in assists with 4.1 per game. The increase in minutes certainly helped cement his case as the best among rookies.

Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks

When the season began, the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft was on the shortlist of contenders for the award. The 6-foot-8 small forward has all the skills needed to be a major force in the league for a long time, and we saw some of that during the 2024-25 season.

Risacher finished with 12.6 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 75 games for the Hawks. He may have been in the race until Castle started getting more playing time, seeing the award slowly slip away as the season came closer to ending. It was a solid rookie season, but not good enough to win ROTY.

Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards

Sarr, the second overall pick in 2024, was the early favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award according to most major sportsbooks. He didn’t disappoint as a rookie, even if Castle did pull away in terms of odds as the season drew to a close.

Sarr finished fourth among rookie scorers with 13 points per game, eighth with 6.5 rebounds, and just outside the top 10 with 2.4 assists per game. We saw flashes of superstar potential from Sarr in a very solid freshman debut from the Wizards star.

Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies

Wells is riveting because his stats – 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game – don’t jump off the charts or rank highly among rookies. But it was a late push that even put Wells’ name on the list of potential winners for NBA Rookie of the Year.

A second-round pick (39th overall) in 2024, Wells is one of the most underrated players on the list. No one expected much of the Washington State shooting guard, but he became a quality player for the Grizzlies as the year progressed. If anything, this makes him one to watch for years to come.

Who Will Win the NBA Rookie of the Year?

It seems pretty obvious at this stage that the award will go to Castle, making it back-to-back Rookie of the Year wins for the Spurs. He took advantage of increased playing time in the face of an injury to Wembanyama and made the most of it.

Castle was one of the most consistent players among rookies this season, earning the award in every sense. He should also be commended for finishing the season on a high note, given that many rookies fade as the season progresses. The Spurs have a good problem on their hands with a pair of talented youngsters anchoring their core.