The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award officially won’t be going to the overwhelming favorite.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season because of a blood clot, the team announced Thursday. The second-year star was -2,500 to take home the league’s top defender honor at BetMGM before he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
The NBA instituted a rule last year that players up for awards like Defensive Player of the Year must play at least 65 games in hopes of encouraging less load management by the league’s stars. Wembanyama played 46 games, ending his defensive award campaign and destroying bettors’ futures market tickets.
The condition that will keep the Spurs center sidelined requires that he take blood-thinning medication, but Wembanyama is expected to recover fully, according to an ESPN report.
Victor Wembanyama was -2500 to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 20, 2025
30% of money (most) was on Wemby to win award at @BetMGM
Players must play in at least 65 games to be eligible for awards. @spurs star played 46. 😬 pic.twitter.com/YM37erzkwi
Market liability
Before the announcement, Wembanyama’s 176 blocks and 52 steals by the All-Star break had him listed at -2,000 by ESPN BET on the NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds market. The online sportsbook told Covers that the Spurs star was the most-bet player in that award market with 36.7% of the tickets and 32.7% of the handle.
During the All-Star break, BetMGM reported that Wembanyama had received 20.4% of the bets and 29.8% of the money. Golden State’s Draymond Green, however, is BetMGM's biggest liability.
New favorite
Wembanyama’s absence from the market makes Memphis power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. the new DPOY favorite. Jackson went from +2,500 on Thursday morning to -130 at ESPN BET following the Wembanyama news.
BetMGM also made Jackson the favorite at -130, followed closely by Cleveland’s Evan Mobley at -110. ESPN BET moved Mobley from +3,000 to +110 and reported that the Cavs forward is second behind Wembanyama with 10.3% of the bets and 15.4% of the handle.
Jackson has seen 7.7% of the tickets and 13.8% of the handle, which is likely to rise after Thursday’s announcement. Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels (+1,800) and Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort (+2,000) are among the next group of candidates.
Odds to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year at @BetMGM
— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 20, 2025
Jaren Jackson Jr. -130
Evan Mobley -110
Lu Dort +1000
Dyson Daniels +1000
SGA +4000
Rudy Gobert +5000
Bam Adebayo +6600
Giannis +10000
Wemby was -2500 to win award before injury. pic.twitter.com/TN43firoGe
