NBA Futures: Can Jaden Ivey Rival Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith for 2022-23 Rookie of the Year?

Updated July 6, 2022
Updated July 6, 2022By Dan Favale
Can Jaden Ivey rival Paolo Banchero for Rookie of the Year in 2022-23?
Can Jaden Ivey rival Paolo Banchero for Rookie of the Year in 2022-23?

With the 2022 NBA draft firmly in the rear view, all the best betting sites for NBA have released their odds to win the 2022-23 Rookie of the Year. Though some NBA futures can be difficult to tackle so far in advance, we don’t believe this is one of them. That’s why we’re here.

Yes, there are plenty of deserving candidates who could feasibly win 2022-23 Rookie of the Year honors. But with most of 2022 NBA free agency done, we now have a hold on which first-year players will have the most mission critical roles. And believe it or not, understanding how each newbie will be used is roughly half the battle when delivering Rookie of the Year predictions.

Let’s kick things off by taking a look at the latest odds to win 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year, which we have grabbed from the folks over at BetOnline:

2022-23 NBA Rookie of the YearBetOnline
Paolo Banchero+350
Jabari Smith Jr.+400
Jaden Ivey+450
Chet Holmgren+500
Keegan Murray+850
Bennedict Mathurin+1000
Shaedon Sharpe+1200
Dyson Daniels+1500
Ocha Agbaji+2000
Johnny Davis+2000
Ousmane Dieng+2500
Jalen Williams+2500
Jaden Hardy+2500
Jalen Duren+3000
E.J. Liddell+3000
AJ Griffin+3500
Walker Kessler+4000
Mark Williams+4500
Jeremy Sochan+5000
Blake Wesley+5000
Wendell Moore+5000
Tari Eason+5000
Nikola Jovic+5000
Marjon Beauchamp+6000
Jake Laravia+6000
TyTy Washington+6000
Malaki Branham+7000
Dalen Terry+8000
Kennedy Chandler+9000
Kendall Brown+10000
Trevor Keels+10000
Patrick Baldwin+10000
Bryce McGowens+10000

Please remember to double-check all odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year right up until you submit your official pick. The Association doesn’t announce the winner until after the end of the 2022-23 regular season, which will happen sometime in April or May. Our NBA Rookie of the Year odds, meanwhile, are accurate entering Wednesday, July 6. That gives them plenty of time to keep shifting, but we’re analyzing them now in hopes of securing the best possible payout.

For anyone who doesn’t yet have a home for their NBA betting, we’re here to help you. Take a stroll through our reviews of all the top online sportsbooks, and you’re bound to find a suitable landing spot. Need a place to bet on the NBA in the United States? We’ve got you covered there, too. Try browsing through our list of the best betting sites in the USA.

Is Paolo Banchero the Best 2022-23 NBA Futures Investment?

It comes as no surprise when the No. 1 pick from the NBA draft gets billed as the Rookie of the Year favorite. Barring an injury or potential trade, it is actually standard practice.

We find no real flaws in Paolo Banchero’s case. The Orlando Magic desperately need a driving force of their offense, and he profiles as exactly that.

There may be some concerns with playing time given how loaded the team’s frontcourt has become. Banchero will ostensibly be competing for minutes with Jonathan Isaac (when healthy), Mo Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr. and even Franz Wagner. But the Magic didn’t surprise everyone and take him at No. 1 just to not give him the keys to their offense. He should have the type of role that warrants real Rookie of the Year consideration.

Paolo Banchero of Orlando MagicTo Win 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year
+350
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Better NBA Futures Bet: Jabari Smith Jr., Jaden Ivey or Chet Holmgren?

As the other consensus top prospects in the 2022 NBA draft, Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets (+400), Jaden Ivey of the Detroit Pistons (+450) and Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder (+500) round out the top of the Rookie of the Year betting ladder.

Many will gravitate toward Jaden Ivey, since point guards are usually afforded the most control over the offense. But Ivey joins a Pistons team that has Cade Cunningham, last year’s No. 1 pick, to run the show. His numbers won’t be glitzy enough to lead this field.

Holmgren is an equally risky pick in Oklahoma City. He is a big man with an unpolished offensive game, and the Thunder have been known to bring their young prospects along more gradually.

That leaves Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets already have plenty of offensive punch in Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Kevin Porter Jr., but Smith projects as their best two-way player on the roster from Day 1. This will carry a ton of weight.

Jabari Smith Jr. of Houston RocketsTo Win 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year
+400
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Who’s the Best Dark Horse to Win 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year?

There are loads of under-the-radar options to consider heading into next season.

TyTy Washington (+6000) is one of our favorites. He slipped in the draft because he’s undersized, but he’s an uber-talented floor general, and there’s a chance the Rockets turn to him as their primary playmaker if they don’t trust Green or Porter to handle the responsibility.

Our actual favorite dark horse, though: Jeremy Sochan (+5000) of the San Antonio Spurs.

Historically, the Spurs have an affinity for limiting the roles of their rookies. But that’s because they’ve always been prioritizing win-now windows. On the heels of the Dejounte Murray trade, they’re not doing that anymore. Sochan should have plenty of opportunity to not only play, but perhaps lead all rookies in scoring.

Jeremy Sochan of San Antonio SpursTo Win 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year
+5000
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Official 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Prediction

In the end, we are most drawn to Jabari Smith Jr.

While there are questions about his shot selection, he forecasts as the most versatile player near the top of this class. Smith should be able to switch across multiple positions on defense, initiate his own offensive possessions, fire threes off the catch, finish as the primary screener at the rim or from beyond the arc and even drop in some off-the-dribble jumpers.

Questions about his volume are fair game. Will there be enough touches to go around in Houston with Green, Sengun and KPJ in the fold? We think there will be.

In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if Smith ends up being the best or second-best player on the Rockets roster thanks to ridiculous counting stats. If you’re looking for someone who could lead all rookies in scoring, made threes and either steals or blocks, it’s him.

OSB NBA Rookie of the Year Pick: Jabari Smith Jr. (+400)

Jabari Smith Jr. of Houston RocketsTo Win 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year
+400
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About the Author

Dan Favale
Dan Favale

Around the age of 12, Dan realized, sadly, he’d never become a professional basketball player. It turns out people under 6’0” who can’t dribble or shoot aren’t touted prospects. Who knew?! Anyway, once it became clear he could play professional sports, he figured the next best thing to do was cover them. So, that’s what he did. And continues to do. Dan has worked in the pro sports analysis industry since 2011, giving him almost 15 years total experience. Though started out covering and continues to be enamored by the NBA, he has spent the past decade or so expanding his expertise and analysis to the NFL, NHL, MLB, tennis, esports and golf. Over the past few years, Dan has cannonballed into full-on sports betting news coverage. He remains fascinated by the impact the legalization of gambling in the United States is having on the country. It has, in so many ways, changed everything about how we consume sports. Is that good? Bad? Does it all even out in the end? His coverage has always and will continue trying to reconcile the duality of this industry, pro sports at large and their influence. In his spare time, Dan enjoys honing his weightlifting, eating enough sweet potatoes to feed a rather large family, binge-watching his all-time favorite shows (Psych is the goat!) and hanging out with his three dogs, all of whom are Cockaliers, Thor, Wade and Cosmo. Typically, though, if he’s not eating or sleeping, Dan is watching or covering sports—and loving basically every minute of it.

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