With the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery in the rearview, sportsbooks reposted their early odds for the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award. To no one's surprise, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick and future San Antonio Spur, Victor Wembanyama (-300), is priced as the overwhelming favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors.
Wembanyama's attempting to become the second consecutive No. 1 pick to win the Rookie of the Year after Paolo Banchero put forth an impressive rookie campaign after going first overall in last year's draft. The vibe surrounding Wembanyama is vastly different, though. Banchero sat around the +300 mark for most of the offseason, while Wembanyama's expected to enter the Association and take the league by storm en route to a dominant rookie campaign.
Outside of Wembanyama to the Spurs, we have no clue how the rest of the 2023 NBA Draft will unfold, making this market a fairly difficult one to bet into at this juncture. Regardless, it's always a fun exercise to peruse the odds to see how the betting market views the upcoming rookie class. Even though we're still a month out from the draft, bettors can derive value from players they feel could be drafted sooner than some mock drafts peg them, giving them a chance to step in and produce in year one.
Below, we’ll break down the odds for the 2024 Rookie of the Year and detail a few of our favorite sleepers and long shots to consider.
NBA Rookie of the Year 2024 odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
| Player | Odds |
| Victor Wembanyama | -300 |
| Scoot Henderson | +300 |
| Brandon Miller | +1200 |
| Amen Thompson | +1300 |
| Cam Whitmore | +2000 |
| Ausar Thompson | +2200 |
| Jarace Walker | +2500 |
| Anthony Black | +3000 |
| Taylor Hendricks | +3500 |
| Gradey Dick | +3500 |
| Cason Wallace | +4000 |
| Bilal Coulibay | +5000 |
| Marcus Sasser | +7500 |
| Leonard Miller | +7500 |
| Jordan Hawkins | +7500 |
| Keyonte George | +7500 |
| Gregory Jackson | +7500 |
| Dariq Whitehead | +7500 |
| Nick Smith Jr. | +7500 |
| Rayan Rupert | +10000 |
| Maxwell Lewis | +10000 |
| Kris Murray | +10000 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | +10000 |
| Jett Howard | +10000 |
| Colby Jones | +10000 |
| Brice Sensabaugh | +10000 |
| Brandin Podziemski | +10000 |
| Jalen Hood-Schifino | +10000 |
| Kobe Bufkin | +10000 |
NBA Rookie of the Year 2024: Favorites
Victor Wembanyama (-300). While Wembanyama's skillset warrants his pricing as the favorite, the betting market's already giving the 7-4 Frenchmen a 75-percent implied probability to win the award. Is his -300 price tag too steep? It might be, but at the same time, how can sportsbooks not price the most hyped rookie since LeBron as the overwhelming favorite considering he's likely to garner significant action from the betting public?
Wembanyama's already on his way toward taking home MVP honors of the LNB Pro A French league, averaging 21.5 points on 47 percent shooting while grabbing 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. We'll see if he's able to maintain that type of efficiency in the NBA, but given he'll be a highly utilized piece under soon-to-be head coach Gregg Popovich, it's fair to expect the 7-4 wunderkind to average close to a double-double in year one.
He already said he's "trying to win a ring ASAP," and while those comments might be a tad optimistic given the Spurs have several glaring holes on their roster, the man's coming into the league looking to prove he can be a dominant two-way player on a championship-caliber team.
Given the magnitude of hype coupled with the fact social media's going to erupt every time Wemby does something otherworldly, there's a chance his odds only continue to steepen. One can make a case there's value in laying the -300 price on Wemby right now before he starts to put together the most complete season among the rookie class.
Scoot Henderson (+300). Henderson, a projected top-three pick, sees his Rookie of the Year odds sitting at +300 ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft. Some draft pundits feel Henderson may end up falling to Portland at No. 3 overall with Charlotte opting to draft Alabama wing Brandon Miller.
There's also speculation Portland ends up shopping the No. 3 overall pick rather than drafting another ball-dominant guard, and if that ends up happening, Henderson's chances of putting up Rookie of the Year-worthy honors are likely to increase. Last season, Banchero averaged 20 points on 42.7 shooting while grabbing 6.9 rebounds and dishing out 3.7 assists over 72 games played.
Henderson's already proven he can produce against high-level hoopers, recording 16.5 points per game of 42.9-percent shooting with a 26.7 usage rate. His ability to score at all three levels while profiling as a reliable perimeter defender could lend itself to a successful rookie campaign. That being said, he posted a -2.5 net rating in the G-League this past season while connecting on just 27.5 percent of his three-point attempts, and if his usage rate isn't as high, it's tough to see him put up numbers worthy of ROY consideration.
NBA Rookie of the Year 2024: Sleepers
Cason Wallace (+4000). At 40-1, Wallace profiles as an intriguing sleeper as a projected late-lottery selection. He's a proven two-way lead guard who shot a respectable 34.6 percent from deep while boasting an impressive 3.7 steal percentage in his lone season at Kentucky.
With Wallace projected to go toward the end of the lottery, he might get picked by a team with an already established lead guard (Oklahoma City, Dallas, Toronto), hindering his chances of being an instant-impact producer. As his 40-1 price tag indicates, chances are Wallace won't end up taking home Rookie of the Year honors, but don't be surprised to see his odds shorten a little next season after showcasing his two-way abilities.
Jordan Hawkins (+7500). Hawkins, another projected late-lottery pick, saw his stock skyrocket after helping lead Connecticut to their fifth National Championship in school history. He's an elite floor spacer who canned 38.8 percent of his threes on high volume while also showcasing his ability to attack the lane.
What franchise wouldn't want a sharp-shooting wing with microwave traits that can take over stretches of games? If Hawkins lands with the right team, likely one with an already established lead guard that can free up catch-and-shoot opportunities, he has a chance to be one of the top-scoring rookies in this class, potentially resulting in his name shooting up the ROY odds board.
NBA Rookie of the Year 2024: Long shot
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (+10000). Teams might overlook the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year after he played four seasons at UCLA, but whichever franchise expends a late first-round pick of Jaquez Jr. will be thrilled they did. While Jaquez Jr. won't blow you away with his athleticism, he has a knack for scoring and always seems to play at a good pace. His shooting won't wow you, but he has a reliable mid-range game while still getting to the cup when the situation allows it.
He's capable of switching one through four on defense and can hold his own against bigger wings and forwards near the basket. He'll likely end up going to a playoff-caliber team at the tail end of the first round, and if he can carve out a role in their rotation, he could end up being a player fans wonder why he went so late given his NBA success.
More Rookie of the Year long shots to consider: Jalen Hood-Schifino (+10000), Brice Sensabaugh (+10000)
