Top sportsbooks have released odds to win the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year following the conclusion of the NBA Draft.
Dallas Mavericks forward and first-overall selection, Cooper Flagg, is already a -200 favorite in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds at DraftKings to take home the award.
Key Takeaways
- Flagg has an implied 66.7 percent chance to win the award
- Only three of the last nine ROTY winners were drafted first
- A San Antonio Spurs player won ROTY each of the last two seasons
| Player | Team | Draft Position | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Flagg | Dallas Mavericks | 1st | -200 |
| Dylan Harper | San Antonio Spurs | 2nd | +900 |
| Ace Bailey | Utah Jazz | 5th | +1000 |
| Tre Johnson | Washington Wizards | 6th | +1200 |
| VJ Edgecombe | Philadelphia 76ers | 3rd | +2200 |
| Egor Demin | Brooklyn Nets | 8th | +2200 |
| Kon Knueppel | Charlotte Hornets | 4th | +4000 |
| Jeremiah Fears | New Orleans Pelicans | 7th | +4000 |
| Kasparas Jakucionis | Miami Heat | 20th | +5000 |
| Derik Queen | New Orleans Pelicans | 13th | +5000 |
| Noa Essengue | Chicago Bulls | 12th | +7500 |
| Khaman Maluach | Phoenix Suns | 10th | +7500 |
| Collin Murray-Boyles | Toronto Raptors | 9th | +7500 |
| Cedric Coward | Orlando Magic | 11th | +7500 |
| Thomas Sorber | Oklahoma City Thunder | 15th | +10000 |
| Nolan Traore | Brooklyn Nets | 19th | +10000 |
| Nique Clifford | Sacramento Kings | 24th | +10000 |
| Joan Beringer | Minnesota Timberwolves | 17th | +10000 |
| Jase Richardson | Orlando Magic | 25th | +10000 |
| Liam McNeeley | Charlotte Hornets | 29th | +10000 |
| Danny Wolf | Brooklyn Nets | 27th | +10000 |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser | Los Angeles Clippers | 30th | +25000 |
| Hugo Gonzalez | Boston Celtics | 28th | +25000 |
| Carter Bryant | San Antonio Spurs | 14th | +25000 |
| Yang Hansen | Portland Trail Blazers | 16th | +25000 |
| Asa Newell | Atlanta Hawks | 23rd | +25000 |
Flagg opened the proceedings on Wednesday night when he put on a Mavs hat after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called his name. That came as no surprise, as the reigning NCAA Freshman of the Year was a -10000 favorite to be the first off the board.
The second pick, and new San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, is also second in Rookie of the Year odds at +900. He’ll team up with megastar Victor Wembanyama, who is expected to be available for action after he missed the final two months of the season with a blood clot in his shoulder.
Fifth-overall pick – and Harper’s Rutgers teammate – Ace Bailey is third in odds at +1000. He was selected by the Utah Jazz despite reportedly indicating he did not want to play for them during his controversial pre-draft process.
Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson, the sixth pick in the draft, is next in odds for the award at +1200. Every other player on the board has odds of at least +2200.
You can keep up to date with the latest NBA odds, analysis, and betting insights throughout the offseason and across the 2025-26 season.
Misleading odds?
Despite Flagg and Harper being atop the odds board, both could find it hard to play heavy minutes early in their careers.
The Mavs already have P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Anthony Davis, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford competing with Flagg for minutes in the frontcourt. The 18-year-old is expected to start at small forward, though that isn’t his natural position, and his on-ball defense will be tested against players with better lateral quickness.
In Harper’s case, the Spurs have De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell vying for backcourt opportunities. They could also re-sign Chris Paul, which would add yet another ball-dominant decision-maker to the mix.
Johnson will also start near the bottom of the pecking order in Washington due to the presence of Bub Carrington, CJ McCollum, Marcus Smart, and Malcolm Brogdon.
Meanwhile, Bailey’s potential ROTY case is muddied by him reportedly not having any interest in playing for the team that drafted him, though he has a much clearer path to playing time early in his career.
Buy low, sell high
There are several interesting value-based NBA ROTY candidates, none more than fourth pick Kon Kneuppel (+4000). After scoring 14.4 points per game on near-50/40/90 splits at Duke, he’s expected to start alongside LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Jusuf Nurkic at the Hornets.
Cedric Coward (+7500) is also an interesting prospect because of his scoring potential. The 6-foot-6 wing shot 59.3 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from three during his college career and is headed to a Magic team that was dead last in three-point percentage (31.8) a year ago. His shooting could help him see the floor quickly.
