2022 NBA Rookie of the Year Predictions, Picks & Betting Odds

• Get the most recent 2022 NBA Regular Season Rookie of the Year odds!
• Check out our predictions for who will win the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year Award!
• View stats and trends that will help you beat the sportsbooks!

Celebrating the performance of the league’s most talented young stars, we take a look at some of the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year trophy!

2022 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook, updated on April 13, 2022

Who is the Favorite to Win NBA Rookie of the Year in 2022?

(C) Evan Mobley – 7-0, 215 lb (213 cm, 97 kg) – United States

HUGE dunk from Evan Mobley!#EvanMobley | #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/ml0rRkYqTf

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) January 2, 2022

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the season with very low expectations, but upon drafting Evan Mobley the team seemed to come together and find some real success. Already one of the league’s biggest defensive threats, Mobley has started his career on a high.

Despite being expected to struggle on the offensive end, Mobley has been fantastic for the Cavaliers in the scoring department. His shooting has been better than advertised and in combination with Darius Garland his finishing has been on display.

At this point in the season, it is Mobley’s award to lose. While an injury can still derail his efforts, the Cavaliers big man has been productive and active enough to start his career off with a lucrative award.

Who was the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year?

Kia NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball discusses his incredible first season with the @hornets. #KiaROY #ThatsGame pic.twitter.com/G2R2gZxJMb

— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2021

The winner of the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year award was LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets. Ball was the first American to win the Rookie of the Year Award after spending his pre-NBA experience outside of the United States.

In his Rookie of the Year winning season, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game. Despite his fantastic contributions, Ball was only able to lead his Hornets to a 33-39 finish.

Ball didn’t win the Rookie of the Year award by a landslide, but he won comfortably. Ball accumulated 84.0 first place votes and 465 of a possible 495 points by the voting panel. Second place was Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who accumulated 15.0 first place votes.

When Will the NBA Rookie of the Year Winner be Announced?

The winner of the Rookie of the Year Award is expected to be announced following the conclusion of the NBA Finals, at the annual NBA Awards. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two NBA Awards shows were cancelled, and the award winner was named after the conclusion of the regular season.

Previous to the introduction of the NBA Awards, the Rookie of the Year was named after the conclusion of the regular season. Awards were sometimes presented prior to the winners playoff game, should their team have been participating.

NBA Rookie of the Year by Year

Does the NBA Rookie of the Year Receive A Prize?

The winner of the NBA Rookie of the Year Award doesn’t directly receive a prize. In commemoration of their accomplishment, the Rookie of the Year is awarded the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy. In terms of cash incentives or bonuses, there are none.

While many player contracts have built in performance incentives that provide bonuses based on statistical accomplishment, no such agreement is known to exist in rookie contracts.

In a sense, the prize for the Rookie of the Year is the ability to write their name into the annals of NBA history. The prestige of the award tends to result in greater opportunity for exposure, endorsements, and nationally broadcasted games for his team.

Is the NBA Rookie of the Year Determined by Fan Vote?

The Rookie of the Year is not decided by fan vote. Fan voting is reserved for the NBA All-Star game, as the event celebrates what the viewing public appreciate about the first phase of the NBA season.

The winner of the Rookie of the Year Award is selected by a panel of United States and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters. The panel casts a first-, second-, and third-place vote (worth five, three, and one point respectively), the rookie with the highest combined vote total wins the award.

Has There Ever Been a Unanimous Rookie of the Year?

There have been multiple unanimous Rookie of the Year winners throughout the history of the award. These players dominated their draft class in terms of production and success, making it clear to the voting panel that they are the best of their year:

• Ralph Sampson (1984)
• David Robinson (1990)
• Blake Griffin (2011)
• Damian Lillard (2013)
• Karl-Anthony Towns (2016)

Have There Ever Been Joint Rookie of the Year Winners?

On three different occasions the NBA has named co-winners for the Rookie of the Year award. Rather than instituting some form of tiebreaker, the league decided to celebrate both players as winners of the award.

The joint winners of the Rookie of the Year trophy are:

• Elton Brand and Steve Francis (2000)
• Grant Hill and Jason Kidd (1995)
• Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie (1971)

Has an International Player Ever Won Rookie of the Year?

The Rookie of the Year Award has been won by four international players; players who are not American by nationality or representation. Those players are:

• Luka Doncic – Slovenia (2019)
• Ben Simmons – Australia (2018)
• Andrew Wiggins – Canada (2015)
• Pau Gasol – Spain (2002)

Despite being American by nationality, there have been additional players who were born outside of the United States to have won Rookie of the Year. Patrick Ewing (2002) was born in Jamaica and Kyrie Irving was born in Australia, although both players own American nationality and have represented the United States Men’s National Team.

Which College Produces the Most Rookie of the Year Winners?

Without question, the NCAA owns the biggest talent pool for the NBA to recruit their next stars. While not representative of the program’s quality as a whole, these colleges have produced the most Rookie of the Year Winner’s in the NBA.

Who Won the First NBA Rookie of the Year Award?

The inaugural winner of the Rookie of the Year Award was Don “Monk” Meineke of the Fort Wayne Pistons. A 6-7 power forward, Meineke averaged 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds over 68 games played in his first NBA season.

Meineke also owns the dubious record of leading the league in personal fouls and disqualifications during his Rookie of the Year campaign. He recorded 334 personal fouls, 4.9 per game, over 68 games and was disqualified 26 times. Meineke still holds the NBA single-season record for disqualifications.

Which Position Wins the Most Rookie of the Year Awards?

Guard (28)

In a way, the Rookie of the Year is a contest where the criteria is player impact on the game. Of course, those who handle the ball the most tend to be very productive rookies.

Playmaking guards like Jason Kidd and Chris Paul draw the attention of Rookie of the Year voters like no other. But scoring is also one of the most direct ways to put yourself atop the Rookie of the Year race, just ask Allen Iverson or Kyrie Irving.

Forward (29)

The most versatile position in the NBA forwards have dominated the Rookie of the Year race due to their playability and immediate impact.

Whether you want paint-oriented scorers and defenders like Tim Duncan and Pau Gasol, or free-wheeling wing scorers and playmakers like Elgin Baylor and Larry Bird, forwards have historically been productive rookies.

Center (15)

While centers have dominated the Most Valuable Player rankings, they are the least successful Rookie of the Year winning group. Due to the competition at the center spot, rookie big men tend to take longer to settle into the NBA game.

Some centers enter the league and dominate from the jump, like Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But don’t count out the impact a defensive ace like Emeka Okafor and David Robinson can make, despite their age.

Who is the Youngest Ever NBA Rookie of the Year?

Inherently one of the younger players in the league, the Rookie of the Year is a competition amongst youth.

In order, the five youngest winners of the Rookie of the Year Award are:

Who is the Oldest Ever NBA Rookie of the Year?

Some players enter the league late, stay longer in college, or even have non-basketball commitments that result in a later NBA debut than most rookies.

In order, the five oldest winners of the Rookie of the Year Award are:

Which NBA Franchises Have Produced the Most NBA Rookie of the Year Winners?

Which NBA Franchises Have Never Produced a Rookie of the Year?

There are just two teams in NBA history that have failed to produce a Rookie of the Year winner:

1. Denver Nuggets
2. Miami Heat

Despite the lack of Rookie of the Year winners in the history of these franchises, it isn’t as if they’ve failed to produce some fantastic young talents. It seems like it’ll be just a matter of time before one of these teams pr