As the 2024-25 NBA season approaches, one of the most intriguing award races to watch is for the Sixth Man of the Year—making it one to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Last season, Naz Reid won the award as he made a significant impact as a stretch big coming off the bench for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who secured a top-three seed in the Western Conference. It was as close of a race as we’ve seen for this award. The 10-point gap between Reid and Monk marked the closest margin in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting since the current format was introduced in the 2002-03 season.
Bobby Portis finished a distant third, earning five first-place votes and 82 total points. Meanwhile, Norman Powell secured fourth place with two first-place votes, while Bogdan Bogdanovic, who received five first-place votes, finished fifth, rounding out the group of players with at least one first-place vote.
Let’s dive into the top players and their odds to win the 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings (+475)
While Monk didn’t win Sixth Man of the Year last season, his averages of 15.4 points, 5.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds across 72 games played positioned him well to do so. He’s considered the favorite to win the award at +475 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Last season, the Kings had an unorthodox setup. De’Aaron Fox was the main off-the-dribble creator on the perimeter, and they relied on a heavy dose of dribble handoffs, with Domantas Sabonis being the engine behind them. With DeMar DeRozan inserted into the mix, the natural question arises: How significantly will that impact Monk’s usage? Surely, the Kings will try to stagger minutes for DeRozan and Fox to maintain having an impactful perimeter shot creator and playmaker on the court at all times.
Monk received a steady dose of pick-and-rolls and handoffs while being needed as an additional isolation option. However, DeRozan is more impactful in each of these areas. Monk was underwhelming in spot-up, generating 0.964 points per possession (PPP) on 225 plays, ranking 110th among 133 players with 200 or more possessions. To optimize his impact, he will need to improve in this area.
Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves (+650)
After averaging 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 81 games, Reid commanded enough votes to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. The Timberwolves fan-favorite is expected to remain in the mix in 2024-25 at +650 on DraftKings Sportsbook to repeat as the recipient of the award. He became the sixth player to win Sixth Man of the Year Award before turning 25.
Reed remains in a position to be a pivotal piece in Minnesota in this role for the foreseeable future, especially if the front office keeps the Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns frontcourt duo together despite the hefty cost to do so.
Despite being one of the NBA’s least efficient post-up players, Reid’s shooting set the tone for his offensive contributions. He was dynamic in spot-up and pick-and-pop, with some attacks off the dribble sprinkled in both areas. His combination of shooting and athleticism also provided the Timberwolves with an intriguing all-around relief option in transition.
Other Potential Contenders
Beyond Monk and Reid, several other players are in the mix for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. However, there is a clear gap separating the rest of the field, which is indicative of how the race unfolded last season. Bobby Portis (+1600), who has received votes for the award in three of the past four seasons, is always a factor as one of the league’s top role players. However, instead of Portis, there are other candidates that hold the best odds behind Monk and Reid.
Caris LeVert (+1100) remains in an important role with the Cleveland Cavaliers after averaging 14.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds last season. Meanwhile, Donte DiVincenzo (+1200) will be a contender after posting 15.5 points and 3.7 rebounds across 81 games.
Just to illustrate how loaded of a field is for Sixth Man of the Year is shaping up to be, there are 10 players DraftKings Sportsbook that hold odds between +1000 and +2000. Veteran scorer Jordan Clarkson (+1300) remains a strong candidate to take home the award after putting up 17.1 points per game last season, and sharpshooter Buddy Hield (+1400) is another player to watch in this crowded race.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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