With the 2023 NBA Draft now in the rearview mirror, the top 60-plus prospects are on the rookie clock. French phenom Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs leads the class in buzz and projected career arc, while Charlotte's Brandon Miller, Portland's Scoot Henderson, and Houston's Amen Thompson could easily make enough noise in their debut campaigns to take home the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award.
The conservative bettor's money on the morning after the draft will likely be on Wemby considering he's a generational unicorn with an eight-foot wingspan and inside-outside skills on both sides of the floor. However, worthwhile questions have been raised by sharp bettors about the French sensation's ability to play 65-plus NBA games, a threshold the new CBA now requires players to reach to be eligible for major awards.
Another potential roadblock in Wemby's way: Chet Holmgren. Last season's No. 2 overall pick missed the entire 2022 NBA season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. The 7-1 center's story reminds hoops fans of Ben Simmons, who also sat out the entirety of his rookie season with the same injury in the same foot and ultimately won Rookie of the Year the following season. Could Chet "cheat" Wemby out of ROY honors?
MORE NBA DRAFT:
Full results | Winners and losers | Grades and analysis for every pick
Of course, this draft class is far from just Wemby. G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson has looked NBA-ready for a while now, and he should immediately occupy a big role in the Blazers' offense alongside Damian Lillard (and an even bigger role if Dame gets dealt). Amen and Ausar Thompson, the stud twins out of Overtime Elite, have Ja Morant-like athleticism and have the luxury of being coached by Ime Udoka and Monty Williams, respectively. Even a few long shots make for solid low-risk, high-reward ROY bets.
Let's take a look at BetMGM's updated odds for 2024 Rookie of the Year, and then discuss our best bets, favorite sleepers, and top long shots to win the NBA's most coveted rookie honor.
RELATED: Wemby's ROY odds compared to LeBron, more recent phenoms
NBA Rookie of the Year odds 2024
Odds courtesy of BetMGM, an Authorized Gaming Operator of the NBA. Click HERE to sign up!
| Player | Odds |
| Victor Wembanyama | -200 |
| Scoot Henderson | +350 |
| Chet Holmgren | +500 |
| Brandon Miller | +950 |
| Amen Thompson | +1500 |
| Cam Whitmore | +2000 |
| Ausar Thompson | +2200 |
| Jarace Walker | +2500 |
| Anthony Black | +3000 |
| Taylor Hendricks | +3500 |
| Gradey Dick | +4000 |
| Cason Wallace | +4000 |
| Bilal Coulibaly | +5000 |
| Kobe Bufkin | +5000 |
| Nick Smith Jr. | +6000 |
| Keyonte George | +6000 |
| Leonard Miller | +6600 |
| Dariq Whitehead | +8000 |
| Gregory Jackson | +8000 |
| Marcus Sasser | +8000 |
| Jordan Hawkins | +8000 |
| Jett Howard | +8000 |
| Maxwell Lewis | +8000 |
| Emoni Bates | +8000 |
| Colby Jones | +9000 |
| Rayan Rupert | +9000 |
| Brandin Podziemski | +10000 |
| Brice Sensabaugh | +10000 |
| Jalen Hood-Schifino | +10000 |
| Dereck Lively II | +10000 |
| Noah Clowney | +10000 |
| Jaimie Jaquez Jr. | +10000 |
| James Nnaji | +10000 |
| Sidy Cissoko | +10000 |
| Bobi Klintman | +10000 |
| Kris Murray | +10000 |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | +10000 |
2024 NBA Rookie of the Year: Best bets
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (-200)
Quite simply, it would be disingenuous for us to list anyone above Wemby as the best bet here. Hopefully, you were able to get in on a promo boost because -200 on a futures bet can be a tough pill to swallow. However, when a generational player comes around, it's difficult for anyone else to rise above the season-long hype surrounding that player. So, even if you have to take on the -200 juice, Wembanyama remains the best overall bet to win this award.
Wemby can basically operate as an inside-outside pure scorer, an insane luxury for a 7-5 dude with an eight-foot wingspan. He's an adept ball handler and sees the floor very well for a 19-year-old. His shooting touch seems effortlessly smooth, and he has an uncanny amount of moves in his bag. He will be the focal point of Gregg Popovich's Spurs offense from the jump and also the central catalyst of San Antonio's defense.
Wemby and Pop being able to join forces is basketball poetry. The 74-year-old coach has previously coached former No. 1 picks and Rookies of the Year David Robinson and Tim Duncan, so he knows a little something about generational centers.
The only risks we see with Wemby involve his health and potential load management. As talented and driven as the young phenom is, he's only 19 and has very little meat on his bones. We have seen in years past that NBA players in his height and weight range have struggled with injuries and season-long durability. A player already garnering Hall-of-Fame chatter won't likely be pushed too much in his debut season for a squad coming off a 22-60 season.
Considering his value to San Antonio as a franchise and the unlikelihood of the Spurs being serious contenders this year, Pop may rest his prized center in back-to-backs to reduce his wear and tear. The kid has never played more than 34 games in a season, so hitting the 65-game minimum needed to contend for Rookie of the Year might be the only challenge to this unicorn pulling it down.
Chet Holmgren, Thunder (+500)
Our next-favorite bet after Wemby is Holmgren, the No. 2 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft who sat out all of last season with a foot injury. When we last saw Holmgren on an NBA floor, he was lighting it up for the Thunder in the 2022 Summer League and making us all salivate at his Rookie of the Year potential.
In his Summer League debut, the 7-1 center scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and swatted six shots while shooting 7-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. All told, he averaged 14 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.8 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 42 percent from three -- scintillating stuff from yet another massively talented 7-footer.
Holmgren has the distinct advantage of being around the NBA game for a full year longer than any of the other players eligible for 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. He also plays for arguably the best squad of all the likely contenders for the award, with OKC coming off a very respectable run at the playoffs via the NBA Play-In Tournament.
If OKC makes the playoffs and Chet finishes the season with strong counting stats and impressive shooting splits, he could swoop in and take down Rookie of the Year. He won't lead the Thunder in scoring, but he has a solid chance at leading OKC in rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. If his advanced stats and total games played are higher than Wemby's at season's end, he will snatch this trophy like Ben Simmons snatched ROY from Donovan Mitchell in 2018.
2024 NBA Rookie of the Year: Top sleepers
Amen Thompson, Rockets (+1500)
Thompson is my third-ranked rookie in dynasty fantasy hoops, as I expect him to flourish under Rockets head coach Ime Udoka from the jump. The Overtime Elite guard provides Houston with immediate playmaking impact, bringing to the table tremendous vision, handles, and passing ability. He also has explosive athleticism both off the dribble and above the rim, not to mention strong perimeter defensive skills, and he should help take this team from the cellar of the league to Play-In Tournament contention.
Amen has been widely overlooked because he didn't fall into the top three of this draft, but he's a perfect example of how this class is much deeper than the average hoops pundit would lead you to believe. This kid should be a sight to behold next season, and he's a fantastic sleeper candidate to explode into the Rookie of the Year conversation and never look back.
Anthony Black, Magic (+3000)
In a perfect world for Black and the Magic, the 6-7 Arkansas point guard will be like a combination of OKC's Josh Giddey and Charlotte's LaMelo Ball. That would be the best-case scenario, considering Giddey made 98 of 100 voters' All-Rookie teams and Ball ran away with 84 percent of the 2021 Rookie of the Year voting. Here's why we like Black as a sleeper in this race:
- Like Giddey and Ball, he's a matchup nightmare at 6-7 with elite ball-handling skills
- He's a playmaker who will finally give the Magic a half-court offensive identity
- He's a two-way star in the making and possibly the best perimeter defender in this class
- He seems like a perfect fit for Orlando coach Jamahl Mosely, who helped revive PG Markelle Fultz's pro career
- The Magic might actually be good this season after showing signs of life last year
Black's shooting efficiency might not be sparkling in his debut year, and the turnovers will be plentiful with so much youth around him. However, we think this pick will ultimately look like one of the steals of this draft by the end of the season. Just like you might on a roulette table, put a modest bet on Black. A winning $10 wager would net you a $300 profit.
MORE: Anthony Black sees a little bit of himself in Josh Giddey
2024 NBA Rookie of the Year: Favorite long shots
Leonard Miller, Timberwolves (+6600)
A 6-10, 215-pound standout of the G League, Miller surprisingly fell down the draft board far enough that Wolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly had to make a move to grab him. He's a long, lanky athlete with a 7-2 wingspan who can handle the ball well for a guy his size and distinguished himself as one of the best rim-runners in the G League.
Overshadowed by G-League Ignite teammate Scoot Henderson, Miller has the size, skills, and springy athleticism to emerge as a long shot to contend for Rookie of the Year. If Naz Reid signs elsewhere this summer and Jaden McDaniels struggles to take a step forward, don't be surprised to see Miller in the mix. A $5 wager on the 20-year-old would yield a $335 return if he wins.
Brandin Podziemski, Warriors (+10000)
Podziemski was one of our favorite sleepers to get picked in the top 20 of Thursday's draft, a bet he cashed for us when Golden State selected him at pick No. 19. While most of the basketball world is talking about CP3's fit with Steph Curry and the Dubs, we're low-key excited to see how Podz will blossom in this dynamic offense under Steve Kerr. He might be the second Santa Clara Bronco in two seasons to emerge as one of the best rookies in the NBA after OKC's Jalen Williams broke onto the scene in 2022.
Why does Podziemski fit the Warriors like a glove? Well, he's a lights-out shooter, canning 43.8 percent from three-point range as a sophomore last season on 5.8 attempts per game, and he plays with effort and intelligence. He averaged 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in his lone season in Santa Clara and led the West Coast Conference with 13 double-doubles.
With Kerr, Curry, Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, and (most likely) Draymond Green around him as tutors, Podz should be a massive sixth-man upgrade over Jordan Poole in this Golden State offense. With +10000 odds, all we need is a $2 lottery ticket for a chance to win $200 if he shocks the NBA world.