NBA Sixth Man of the Year Odds for 2025-26 Season: De’Andre Hunter, Naz Reid Open as Favorites

Breaking down the odds to win the Sixth Man of the Year in the 2025-26 NBA season.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid is second in the odds to win Sixth Man of the Year. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

One of the most intriguing award markets in the NBA is the Sixth Man of the Year award, as there is just one player set at shorter than 10/1 odds entering the 2025-26 season.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter is the favorite in this market, but he is expected to begin the season as a starter with the Cavs down Max Strus and Darius Garland. So, does that mean this market is wide open in the 2025-26 season?

I believe that it is, and it wouldn't be a surprise since some of the recent Sixth Man of the Year winners haven’t established themselves as lead contenders until the year they won the award. Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard won the award last season, and he edged out Ty Jerome and Malik Beasley, who both weren’t expected to be in the mix to win entering the 2024-25 season.

A former Sixth Man of the Year winner – Minnesota’s Naz Reids – is second in the odds this season, tied with Boston newcomer Anfernee Simons. 

Usually, the Sixth Man of the Year award has gone to a player that is on a playoff team, and it’s typically one of the leading scorers in terms of bench points.

Pritchard was on the No. 2-seeded Celtics last season while Reid, Malcolm Brogdon, Tyler Herro, Jordan Clarkson, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams all played for playoff teams. The last time the Sixth Man of the Year came from a non-playoff team was when Williams won the award in the 2017-18 campaign. 

 So, with that in mind, let’s dive into the odds and my predictions for this market in the 2025-26 season. 

Sixth Man of the Year Odds for 2025-26 Season

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• De’Andre Hunter: +750
• Naz Reid: +1000
• Anfernee Simons: +1000
• Jordan Clarkson: +1200
• Ty Jerome: +1400
• Payton Pritchard: +1600
• Gradey Dick: +1800
• Jared McCain: +2200
• Reed Sheppard: +2200
• Keldon Johnson: +2500
• Caris LeVert: +2500
• Tari Eason: +2800
• Obi Toppin: +2800
• Donte DiVincenzo: +3000
• Bobby Portis: +3000
• Josh Hart: +3000
• PJ Washington: +3000
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker: +3000
• TJ McConnell: +3500
• Santi Aldama: +3500
• Jonathan Kuminga: +4000
• Miles McBride: +4000
• Kelly Oubre Jr.: +4000
• Chris Boucher: +4000
• Onyeka Okongwu: +4000
• Zaccharie Risacher: +4000

There are a lot of interesting contenders for this award, but there are also some players like Hunter, Pritchard, Reed Sheppard and others that could end up starting this season, which would knock them out of contention in this market.

When betting on the Sixth Man of the Year, you want a player with a major role off of the bench, but there is a risk that if they start too many games they’ll end up getting passed up (see Immanuel Quickley in the 2022-23 season). 

I have an interesting combination of players that I’m targeting this season. 

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Predictions and Picks

Naz Reid (+1000)

Reid was in the mix to win this award in the 2024-25 season, even though he ended up starting 17 games with Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert missing time. 

In 80 games, Reid averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game – all up from the 2023-24 season when he actually won Sixth Man of the Year. He ultimately finished fifth in the voting.

The Wolves rewarded Reid with a major contract extension this offseason, and he should play a super Sixth Man role for the team in the 2025-26 campaign. Reid is a great bet since the Wolves have been a perennial playoff team under Chris Finch, and he’s seen his points, rebounds and assists per game all increase in each of the last three seasons. 

He also should get some spot starts where he will be able to pad his numbers in this conversation. I think that he’s worth a look at 10/1 with no clear favorite in the betting odds. 

Josh Hart (+3000)

It appears that the New York Knicks and new head coach Mike Brown are leaning towards starting big man Mitchell Robinson in the 2025-26 season, which would mean Josh Hart reverts to a bench role.

Hart’s role could fluctuate throughout the season, which makes him a little riskier (hence the +3000 price), but there’s no doubt he’s one of the most impactful role players in the NBA.

Last season, Hart averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Knicks while playing a league-high 37.6 minutes per game. His minutes may come down with Tom Thibodeau no longer coaching the Knicks, but Hart is still going to have a huge role on this team. 

The fact that he should hover around 12 points, eight boards and five dimes (he’s averaging 11.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game as a Knick), should keep him in the mix in this market if Robinson remains the Knicks’ starter for the majority of the season. 

New York is also a surefire playoff team in the Eastern Conference, which checks another key box for Hart when it comes to this market. Hart has been a starter for a lot of his career, so this could be the first season he could truly become a Sixth Man of the Year option. 

Anfernee Simons (+1000)

Simons should be one of the beneficiaries of Jayson Tatum missing time to begin the 2025-26 season due to an Achilles injury.

Boston’s starting group appears to include Pritchard and not Simons, making the latter an interesting bet to have a Pritchard-like season off the bench for the C’s – if he remains in Boston through the trade deadline.

Simons is a career 38.1 percent shooter from deep, and Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics are going to run and gun from beyond the arc in the 2025-26 season in an attempt to make up for the loss of Tatum, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. 

I’m a little wary of betting on Simons since he’s a big-time trade candidate this season, but he could be worth a look since Boston’s lead backup guard (Brogdon in 2022-23 and Pritchard last season) has won the Sixth Man of the Year multiple times in the last three seasons.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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