Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic Top Rookie of the Year Odds After 2018 NBA Draft
Now that the 2018 NBA draft is in the books, oddsmakers are already looking ahead at which rookies will have the most impact on the court next season.
Per OddsShark, No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns and reigning Euroleague MVP Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks are the two favorites to win 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year honors:
Among the other notable draftees on the list, Michael Porter Jr. is better liked by oddsmakers than he was by teams in the lottery.
Porter underwent a microdiscectomy of the L3 and L4 spinal discs last November that led to concerns about his health coming into the NBA. The Denver Nuggets took a chance on the Missouri star with the final pick in the lottery at No. 14.
Trae Young, whose draft rights were traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal with the Dallas Mavericks for Doncic on Thursday, is looking to become the first player from Oklahoma to win Rookie of the Year since Blake Griffin in 2010-11.
Donte DiVincenzo has the best odds among players not drafted in the lottery. The 2018 Final Four Most Outstanding Player went No. 17 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks, who made the postseason last year and will presumably get a lot of national exposure thanks to the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
A lot of these rookies will be able to show off their skills soon during the NBA summer league. That should provide a much better understanding of where things stand heading into the season, though it's hard to argue with the top pick being the favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
