Three Sleeper Choices for NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award

The 2025 NBA Draft was loaded near the top, with players like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey and more finding new homes.

For the most part, those names will dominate the odds at winning Rookie of the Year. Per Draftkings Sportsbook, Flagg is the heavy favorite at -185, followed by Harper at +900. Bailey stands at third with +950, trailed by VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson and more.

While the top picks always have a better chance to hoist the hardware, we’ll evaluate some sleepers with better chances than many think below:

Yang Hansen, Trail Blazers (+4000)

Of all the sleeper choices at Rookie of the Year, Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen may just offer the best. And there’s a few reasons for that.

Hansen was taking well above where he was projected, being drafted at No. 16 by Portland. While most didn’t value him as a mid-first round pick, the Trail Blazers certainly did, firstly pointing to the fact he may be slated for more playing time than anticipated.

Secondly, Hansen can play. Hailing from the CBA, he has premier feel for a center, despite his slower feet. He can score on the interior, has the touch to shoot jumpers and some of the best passing we’ve seen from a big man. If he can keep up defensively, he’ll have a shot in Portland’s rotation.

Lastly, his play-style lends itself to flashiness, which can certainly play into narratives such as Rookie of the Year.

Nikola Topic, Thunder (+10000)

Nikola Topic was drafted at No. 12 in the 2024 draft, and missed the Thunder’s entire championship season due to a torn ACL in the pre-draft process. Still, he was touted as one of the best players in the class prior to injury, and could still tap into that as a technical rookie next season.

The Serbian guard has premier feel for the game, able to slash to the rim and finish with touch, or pass and play-make with incredible consistency. He averaged a Las Vegas-high 7.3 assists per game in Summer League, showing off impeccable driving instincts.

The sole thing standing in Topic’s way will likely be playing time, as he enters the best rotation on the planet. The Thunder have need of a bench point guard, but other options outside of Topic. Still, if he’s able to crack the rotation, he might just be good enough to shine.

Nolan Traore, Nets (+10000)

Nets guard Nolan Traore is of a similar mold to Topic, offering a speedy point guard option with potential high-level scoring and passing instincts. He was hailed as one of the top prospects in the class prior to his previous season with Saint Quentin, but didn’t show enough improvement, and eventually fell to No. 19.

Traore is interesting for a handful of reasons. He already has professional experience, a leg up over his peers, and has legitimately starred in international play before. Even more, Brooklyn is set to be one of the worst teams in the league, offering him plenty of opportunity. He’ll have scoring weapons in Michael Porter Jr. and likely Cam Thomas, meaning he could facilitate at a high rate.

If Traore can re-find what made him a top-five pick in the pre-draft process, he could walk away with the ROY Award.

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