NBA Rookie of the Year Odds & Predictions 2024

The 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner was Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic. Banchero was just the third Orlando Magic rookie to win the award after Shaquille O'Neal in 1993 and Mike Miller in 2001.

Banchero stood out in his rookie season, playing 72 games while averaging 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 42.7% from the field and 29.8% from three-point range. While Banchero's Magic failed to make the NBA Playoffs, he proved to be a solid foundation for the franchise's future.

Banchero was the clear favorite to win Rookie of the Year through the 2022-23 NBA season. The Orlando Magic forward garnered 98.0 first-place votes, collecting 494.0 points through the voting process. Second was Thunder guard Jalen Willams in the award race, collecting 75.0 second-place votes but no first-place votes. Third place was won by Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, who collected two first-place votes and 17.0 second-place votes.

The Rookie of the Year Award winner is expected to be announced following the conclusion of the NBA regular season and Play-In Tournament. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the NBA Awards show was delayed and subsequently canceled.

Last year the various NBA awards were announced either individually by the winner's team or on a live broadcast of Inside the NBA. These happen during unscheduled dates during the NBA Playoffs.

The NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner doesn't receive a prize directly. The Rookie of the Year wins the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy to commemorate their accomplishment. In terms of cash incentives or bonuses, there are few.

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.

The Rookie of the Year prize is the ability to write their name into the annals of NBA history. Winning Rookie of the Year increases a player's opportunity for exposure, endorsements, and nationally broadcasted games.

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 appreciates about the first phase of the NBA season. A panel of United States and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters selects the Rookie of the Year Award winner. The panel casts a first-, second-, and third-place vote (worth five, three, and one point, respectively); the rookie with the highest combined vote wins the award.

Multiple unanimous Rookie of the Year winners have existed throughout the award's history. 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).

On three occasions, the NBA has named co-winners for the Rookie of the Year award. Rather than instituting some form of a tiebreaker, the league decided to celebrate both players as prize winners. The joint winners of the Rookie of the Year trophy were Elton Brand and Steve Francis (2000), Grant Hill and Jason Kidd (1995), and Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie (1971).

Four international players who are not American by nationality or representation won the Rookie of the Year Award. 

Those players were: Luka Doncic - Slovenia (2019), Ben Simmons - Australia (2018), Andrew Wiggins - Canada (2015), Pau Gasol - Spain (2002).

Despite being American by nationality, additional players were born outside 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.

The University of North Carolina has produced the most Rookie of the Year winners in NBA history.

Those winners were: Bob McAdoo (1973) - Buffalo Braves, Walter Davis (1978) - Phoenix Suns, Phil Ford (1979) - Kansas City Kings, Michael Jordan (1985) - Chicago Bulls, Vince Carter (1999) - Toronto Raptors.

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.

At 19 years old, born August 22nd, LaMelo Ball was the youngest player named Rookie of the Year. Five other players were 19 when they won the award.

At 24 years old, born December 11th, Brogdon earned the unofficial award of oldest Rookie of the Year in the history of the NBA. Two other players were also 24 when they won Rookie of the Year.

The Golden State Warriors have produced the most Rookie of the Year winners in NBA history. With six different winners, the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Warriors, and Philadelphia Warriors, no other team has produced more Rookie of the Year winners. 

The Rookie of the Year Award winners for the Golden State Warriors were: Woody Sauldsberry (1958), Wilt Chamberlain (1960), Rick Barry (1966), Jamaal Wilkes (1975), Mitch Richmond (1989), Chris Webber (1994).

Only two teams have failed to produce a Rookie of the Year winner: the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.