Rookie of the Year Odds: Magic No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero The Favorite?
ORLANDO - Las Vegas Summer League has come and gone, and the top picks from this year's draft have gotten a small taste of what life is like in the NBA.
The rookies will have about two months to relax before training camp kicks off their NBA career and a race to become the Rookie of the Year.
Each of the top rookies had a unique Summer League. Players like Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe saw their Vegas runs cut short due to injury, while Jabari Smith Jr. underwhelmed and Keegan Murray played better than expected.
But did it change the Rookie of the Year odds?
According to Caesar's Sportsbook, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (+350) is now the favorite, jumping over No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren (+375) from before Summer League.
While Banchero is the favorite in most sportsbooks, he is dead even with Holmgren in the DraftKings Sportsbook with +350 odds.
Despite playing in just two games during the Vegas run, Banchero proved why the Magic took him with the No. 1 overall pick.
In his debut against the Houston Rockets, the No. 1 overall pick finished with 17 points in a win. He was able to top that performance against the Sacramento Kings with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists ... including the game-winning pass in a sudden-death overtime win.
While fans were denied a battle between Banchero and Holmgren for Game 3, the pair will have a tight season-long war for the Rookie of the Year honors this upcoming season.
