NBA Rookie of the Year Odds: Alexandre Sarr an Early Favorite

The first round of the NBA Draft is over, and FanDuel Sportsbook already has odds up for next season's Rookie of the Year award.

A full list of the 2024 NBA Draft results can be found here.

Let's dive into the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year odds via the NBA odds on FanDuel Sportsbook and break down the top contenders.

NBA Rookie of the Year Odds

Odds as of June 27th and subject to change.

Alexandre Sarr (+500)

Alexandre Sarr may have been the second player drafted, but he opens as the favorite to win the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year award at +500 odds.

Sarr was selected by the Washington Wizards at No. 2 overall, and that landing spot likely fuels his status as the favorite. After Washington finished with the second-worst record (15-67) last season, the 6'11" big man shouldn't face much competition for usage.

That's especially true with Washington trading away last year's third-leading scorer,Deni Avdija. He had the third-highest usage rate (19.6%) among regular starters.

Sarr profiles as someone who can take advantage of that available usage and put up numbers right away. Last year, in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), Sarr averaged 20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per 36 minutes. He shot 52% overall and 29.8% from three on 4.1 attempts per game.

That said, since 2006, only three bigs have won Rookie of the Year.

Zaccharie Risacher (+700)

At +700 odds, No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is tied for the second-shortest odds to win the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year.

Risacher's situation is murkier than Sarr's, but it's hard to imagine the Atlanta Hawks keeping their top pick under wraps too long. Prior to the free agency period, Atlanta still has Trae Young (28.9% usage last season) and Dejounte Murray (25.9%) on their roster.

It's also fair to question whether the 6'8" forward will even start right away. Wings De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic are both under contract until at least 2026, and it's unlikely that Atlanta declines Jalen Johnson's $4.5 million team option for next season.

Risacher hasn't put up gaudy numbers in the past, either. In France's top league last season, the forward averaged 16.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per 36 minutes. He shot 43.9% overall and 35.2% from three on 5.5 attempts per game.

He does have some history on his side, at least. Two of the last three Rookie of the Year awards went to wings, and eight of the last 20 winners were the No. 1 overall pick.

Stephon Castle (+700)

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle is tied with Risacher for the second-shortest odds to win the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year at +700.

Castle has an immediate path to a prominent role with San Antonio. Although Victor Wembanyama (31.2% usage last season), Devin Vassell (22.9%), and Keldon Johnson (21.2%) are all locked into long-term contracts, their backcourt is wide open. Point guard Tre Jones is under contract for only one more season, and the Spurs likely aren't tied to him after they got the sixth-fewest points per game from the guard position.

The 6'5" Castle contributed a little bit of everything in college. On his way to winning a National Championship with UConn, Castle averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per 36 minutes. He shot only 26.7% from three, and his potential growth from beyond the arc will likely determine his year-one upside.

Though we've gone three years without a guard winning Rookie of the Year, a backcourt player had won four of the previous five from 2017 to 2021.

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