Author
Christopher Boan is a writer with BetTexas.com, covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds 2025: New Favorite After Wembanyama Out For Season
With the NBA trade deadline now past, it’s worth wondering which glue guy on the defensive side of the court will take home the league’s top honor for defending the basket. Second-year superstar Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, who averaged 8.4 defensive rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game during his rookie campaign, was the overwhelming favorite for the award until a blood clot ended his season on Feb. 20.
The 7’4 Frenchman took the NBA by storm during his first season in the league, giving basketball fans in the heart of Texas hope that this year will be the season where San Antonio returns to the postseason. If only there was Texas sports betting to follow the Spurs along this season.
With all that in mind, BetTexas.com broke down some hypothetical odds on which NBA player has the best odds of winning this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award, with Wembanyama likely out of the race.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds 2025
Player | Team | Odds |
Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | -125 |
Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | +100 |
Dyson Daniels | Atlanta Hawks | +1300 |
Luguentz Dort | Oklahoma City Thunder | +2100 |
Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder | +2600 |
*Odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook on Feb.. 20th, 2025
Wembanyama's odds to capture the honor were overwhelming 54 games into the 2024-25 season, as he's averaging 3.9 blocks per game. But now it's time for other contenders to make their case.
That includes Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies (-125) and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley (+100). Last year’s winner, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is now off the board, as seemingly everyone is looking up at Jackson and Mobley.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Winners
Year | Player | Team |
2024 | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2023 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies |
2022 | Marcus Smart | Boston Celtics |
2021 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz |
2020 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
In the last five years, the NBA has seen defensive savants like Gobert, Jackson, Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics and Antetokounmpo win the league’s DPOY honor.
Gobert was the league’s DPOY winner a year ago, thanks to posting defensive win share total of 11.6 for the Timberwolves, which marked the third highest total of his nine-year NBA career behind his 2018-19 (14.4) and 2016-17 (14.3) campaigns.
Jackson had a defensive win share of 3.8 in his award winning season in 2023, while Smart posted a DWS figure of 5.6 for Boston in 2022 and Antetokounmpo finished up at 5.0 to win the award in 2020.
FAQ
Rudy Gobert won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024. This marked his fourth time winning the award, tying him with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most wins in the history of the award.
As of February 2025, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is the new favorite to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year at -125, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting is conducted by a panel of 100 media members. Each voter casts a ballot ranking the top 3 defensive players in the league, with the first-place vote earning 5 points, the second-place vote earning 3 points, and so on. The player with the most points at the end of the voting process is awarded the Defensive Player of the Year.
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year award is typically announced in April or May, following the conclusion of the regular season. The exact date can vary from year to year, depending on the league's schedule.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
