Top 5 candidates to win 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year

1. Zach Edey

Edey won back-to-back national player of the year awards in his final two seasons at Purdue and could take home more hardware in his first NBA season. The big 7-foot-4, 300-pound center is the odds-on favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2024-25 and is in a good position to do so after being selected No. 9 overall this past June by the Grizzlies, a team poised for significant improvement this season.

Edey is in line to start at center alongside a talented core featuring Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane. His biggest presence early on could come as a rim protector in the paint thanks to his size, but Edey also has a strong offensive game in the low post and has developed an outside shot since his time at Purdue. If his shooting becomes consistent, Edey, who has put up six-point and 10-point efforts thus far in the preseason, could become the top player in this year’s draft class with his all-around skill set and size.