Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
Author: Anthony Vlahovic
Last Updated: 02 July, 2025
2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award consistently sparks intense debate among fans. Over the past few seasons, Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert has won the award multiple times, with the 2023-24 season marking his fourth win in seven years. Victor Wembanyama looked more than ready to claim the DPOY throne from Gobert, but due to a blood clot, he missed the entire second half of the season, which allowed Evan Mobley to swoop in and secure the award for the first time in his career.
With the NBA off-season underway, sportsbooks have started to roll out odds for the 2025-26 award season, and DraftKings became the first shop to offer Defensive Player of the Year odds. Once more sportsbooks release the odds for this award, we will keep bettors up to date on all the best prices and odds movement until the end of the season.
2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year - Best Odds Right Now
Player | Opening Odds | Current Best Odds |
|---|---|---|
Victor Wembanyama | -180 | -180 (DraftKings) |
Evan Mobley | +1000 | +1000 (DraftKings) |
Chet Holmgren | +1500 | +1500 (DraftKings) |
Dyson Daniels | +1600 | +1600 (DraftKings) |
Amen Thompson | +1800 | +1800 (DraftKings) |
Jaren Jackson Jr. | +2800 | +2800 (DraftKings) |
Lu Dort | +3000 | +3000 (DraftKings) |
Bam Adebayo | +3500 | +3500 (DraftKings) |
Anthony Davis | +3500 | +3500 (DraftKings) |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +4000 | +4000 (DraftKings) |
Jalen Suggs | +4000 | +4000 (DraftKings) |
Ausar Thompson | +4000 | +4000 (DraftKings) |
Rudy Gobert | +5000 | +5000 (DraftKings) |
Draymond Green | +5000 | +5000 (DraftKings) |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | +5500 | +5000 (DraftKings) |
Odds as of July 2, 2025
Opening Odds from DraftKings
* = The same odds are offered by multiple sportsbooks
2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year - Top10 Contenders
Player | DraftKings |
|---|---|
Victor Wembanyama | -180 |
Evan Mobley | +1000 |
Chet Holmgren | +1500 |
Dyson Daniels | +1600 |
Amen Thompson | +1800 |
Jaren Jackson Jr. | +2800 |
Lu Dort | +3000 |
Bam Adebayo | +3500 |
Anthony Davis | +3500 |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +4000 |
Current Favorites
Victor Wembanyama (SA Spurs): Before his season-ending medical condition, the Spurs' young phenom was such a heavy favorite to win DPOY that when news broke of him being out for the year, some shops paid out bettors who placed a future on him. While he missed out on the chance to win his first Defensive Player of the Year, Wembanyama has the opportunity to win quite a few in his career if he can stay healthy. Last season, in 46 games, the Spurs center had a 10.4% block percentage and a 1.6% steal percentage, and recorded 2.8 defensive win shares.
Evan Mobley (CLE Cavaliers): Prior to Wembanyama being sidelined, Evan Mobley was in the top three on the odds board for the award, but he didn't have a chance to win until the Spurs center was no longer in the race. Multiple players appeared to be in a good position to win the award during the second half of the season. Still, ultimately, Mobley's 3.8 defensive win shares and an average of 1.6 blocks per game were enough to get the job done.
Chet Holmgren (OKC Thunder): Fresh off his first NBA title, Chet Holmgren does look to be a real contender for Defensive Player of the Year during the 2025-26 season. The Thunder big man even overtook Wembanyama on the odds board early in the 2024-25 season before an injury forced him to play in just 32 regular-season games. During that stretch, Holmgren managed an 8.2% block percentage and 2.0 defensive win shares, and he would also go on to average 1.9 blocks and .7 steals per game in the postseason. With those numbers in limited play, it will be interesting to see what Holmgren can do in a full season of action.
2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Winner - Evan Mobley (CLE)
In 71 regular-season games, Mobley tied his career high in steals per game with an average of .9, while also finishing with 1.6 blocks per game, which is the second-best season-long average of his career. Mobley had somewhat of a down year last season on the defensive end, but he returned to his 2022-23 form when he finished third in DPOY voting. By staying healthy and consistent, Mobley remained near the top of the odds board all season, and his 3.8 defensive win shares ended up being enough to land him the trophy over the likes of Draymond Green and Dyson Daniels.
Being able to win this award again with a healthy Victor Wembanyama may be difficult for Mobley and other defenders. Still, if anything, this season proved he is one of the premier defenders in the league. It also showed that Mobley still has a high ceiling with room for growth.
Mobley's DPOY-Worthy Stats
Mobley's Stats | Ranking | Closest Contender |
|---|---|---|
1.6 Blocks Per Game | 5th | Kessler (2.4) (1st) |
4.7% Block Percentage | 9th | Kessler (7.4) (1st) |
.9 Steals Per Game | 106th | Daniels (3.0) (1st) |
3.8 Defensive Win Shares | 16th | Gilgeous-Alexander (4.8) (1st) |
1.5 Defensive Box Plus/Minus | 16th | Dunn (3.4) (1st) |
2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Voting
Rank - Player | Total points | 1st place votes |
|---|---|---|
1. Evan Mobley (Cleveland) | 285 | 35 |
2. Dyson Daniels (Atlanta) | 197 | 25 |
3. Draymond Green (Golden State) | 154 | 15 |
4. Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City) | 109 | 11 |
5. Amen Thompson (Houston) | 93 | 9 |
6. Ivica Zubac (LA Clippers) | 34 | 4 |
7. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis) | 9 | 0 |
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) | 5 | 1 |
9. Toumani Camara (Portland) | 4 | 0 |
10. Bam Adebayo (Miami) | 3 | 0 |
10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City) | 3 | 0 |
10. Derrick White (Boston) | 3 | 0 |
13. Rudy Gobert (Minnesota) | 1 | 0 |
Past Defensive POY Winners
Season | Player | Team | Opening odds |
|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | +2000 |
2023-24 | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | +2000 |
2022-23 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | +2000 |
2021-22 | Marcus Smart | Boston Celtics | +4000 |
2020-21 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | +300 |
2019-20 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | +400 |
2018-19 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | +163 |
2017-18 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | +325 |
2016-17 | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | +550 |
2015-16 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | +550 |
2014-15 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | N/A |
Position Bias in the Paint: Why Bigs Dominate DPOY — and Who Could Break the Mold
There are plenty of guards and wings in the NBA that have elite defensive abilities, but most of them will never win Defensive Player of the Year due to the center position's dominance of the award. Since 2000, over 75% of DPOY winners have been big men, and as long as Victor Wembanyama can recover from his blood clots, that percentage will likely keep increasing.
Between blocks, rebounds, rim deterrence, and advanced metrics like defensive win shares, centers just have an advantage when it comes to this award. These multitudes of metrics have tended to stand out more in the eyes of voters than the numbers that guards and wings can provide.
For the foreseeable future, centers will open as the favorite for this award. While that may be the case, bettors may still be able to find some long shots at the guard and wing positions that have value. When looking for these longer shots, bettors should be looking for players that can guard multiple positions, have strong on/off defensive metrics, and ones who can rack up steals at a high clip, like a Dyson Daniels or Lu Dort.
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