Victor Wembanyama is the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award
Jaren Jackson Jr. is the top contender to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2025
Rudy Gobert won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024
The top Defensive Player of the Year contenders have held over the past week. Familiar faces continue to dance about outside the top five, but the main characters in this story have been a constant. At WSN, we're locked in on the race for the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, offering the latest odds, predictions, and analyses for the 2024-25 NBA season!
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This season, Victor Wembanyama is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Jaren Jackson Jr. rises to the top contender spot, overtaking Evan Mobley, who falls just behind him. Rudy Gobert rejoins the top contenders behind his solid play, while Jalen Suggs is a dark horse to win the award as he steps up his role for the Magic.
Victor Wembanyama has been a defensive powerhouse for the Spurs through the early season. He anchors his team's defense with league-leading rim protection and surprising versatility. Wembanyama leads the league in blocks per game while effectively guarding multiple positions. Already a unicorn on the offensive side of the ball, Wembanyama's defensive impact continues to impress.
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Who Is the Favorite to Win NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2025?
Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs (-190) at FanDuel
Season
Team
Age
Games
MPG
PPG
RPG
SPG
BPG
2024-25
SAS
21
21
32.3
23.6
10.3
1.1
3.5
Victor Wembanyama is starting to put it all together. His Spurs went 2-1 over the past week, and he collected 25 rebounds, 13 blocks, and three steals. His presence in the paint is unmatched, but his all-around play stood out in his December 19 win over the Hawks, when he scored 42 points, six rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and two steals.
Who Are the Contenders for 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year?
Jaren Jackson Jr. - Memphis Grizzlies (+500) at FanDuel
Season
Team
Age
Games
MPG
PPG
RPG
SPG
BPG
2024-25
MEM
25
25
28.2
22.0
5.8
1.5
1.8
Jaren Jaxkson Jr. has been excellent for the Memphis Grizzlies this season, as his productivity and availability have stood out. The Grizzlies have gone 2-1 this past week, and Jackson has collected 18 rebounds, seven steals, and one block. His most productive game came in a win over the Nets, scoring 20 points, seven rebounds, and five steals on the night.
Evan Mobley - Cleveland Cavaliers (+1500) at FanDuel
Season
Team
Age
Games
MPG
PPG
RPG
SPG
BPG
2024-25
CLE
22
25
30.4
18.4
8.9
1.1
1.5
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been brilliant this season, leading the NBA in wins behind Evan Mobley's two-way productivity. The Cavaliers forward played one game this past week, putting up 21 points, five rebounds, and one steal in 23 minutes of play. His versatility on defense has been central to their success, allowing Cleveland to maintain their offensive standards while he protects his team on the defensive side of the ball.
Jalen Suggs has been one of the NBA’s premiere perimeter defenders this season, helping the Orlando Magic to their incredible rise. However, with injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner plaguing them, Suggs has faltered with the increased role. He hasn’t shot over 30.0% from the field in his last three games, but he’s maintained his defensive intensity, collecting 19 rebounds, six blocks, and six steals over that stretch. Suggs’ defensive efforts will never relent, but with an expanded role until Wagner and Banchero return, keep an eye on where he focuses his productivity.
Who Is the Dark Horse to Win 2025 Defensive Player of the Year?
Rudy Gobert - Minnesota Timberwolves (+2500) at FanDuel
Season
Team
Age
Games
MPG
PPG
RPG
SPG
BPG
2024-25
MIN
32
25
34.4
10.6
11.0
0.7
1.4
Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves have been on a positive run lately, winning six of their last ten games despite falling to eighth in the West. Gobert’s paint presence was vital to their success over the past week, collecting 26 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks in three games. Shifts in strategy have hurt Gobert’s raw production, but his presence in the paint has set their defensive standards in victories.
Who Was the 2024 NBA Defensive Player of the Year?
Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves won the 2024 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. It was the fourth time Gobert had been awarded the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, placing him with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the most winning players.
Gobert averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks on 44.6% from the field in his award-winning season. He also helped the Minnesota Timberwolves to the league’s top-ranked defense and the third seed in the Western Conference.
Gobert is now one of three players to win Defensive Player of the Year four times.
Are There Any Multi-Time Defensive Player of the Year Winners?
Ten players have won Defensive Player of the Year twice or more. Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, and Rudy Gobert lead the pack with four victories, but there are many more players to recognize.
Players to win Defensive Player of the Year multiple times:
Times Won
Player
Year
Team
4
Dikembe Mutombo
1995, 1997, 1998, 2001
Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks
4
Ben Wallace
2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
Detroit Pistons
4
Rudy Gobert
2018, 2019, 2021, 2024
Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves
3
Dwight Howard
2009, 2010, 2011
Orlando Magic
2
Sidney Moncrief
1983, 1984
Milwaukee Bucks
2
Mark Eaton
1985, 1989
Utah Jazz
2
Dennis Rodman
1990, 1991
Detroit Pistons
2
Hakeem Olajuwon
1993, 1994
Houston Rockets
2
Alonzo Mourning
1999, 2000
Miami Heat
2
Kawhi Leonard
2015, 2016
San Antonio Spurs
NBA Defensive Player of the Year FAQs
Does the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Receive a Prize?
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winner doesn’t receive a prize beyond the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. In terms of cash incentives or bonuses, there are none.
It may be written in many players’ team contracts that they receive a bonus upon receiving the award, but that is subject to the terms of the team agreement and not the NBA organization.
The most accurate prize for the Defensive Player of the Year is that their name is written in history as one of the greatest ever to play.
Does Fan Vote Determine the NBA Defensive Player of the Year?
No, fans of the NBA do not have a say in who will be awarded Defensive Player of the Year. Unlike All-Star voting, the Defensive Player of the Year is voted upon by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters across the United States and Canada.
The voting process for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year is as follows: Media members are allowed to award a player of their choice a “vote” ranked from first place, worth ten points, to third place, worth one point. The player with the highest points total wins the award.
When Will the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Winner Be Announced?
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award is usually announced after the conclusion of the NBA regular season and the Play-In Tournament. The team of the winning player tends to reveal the news publicly during the NBA Playoffs.
Before its cancellation, the prize would have been announced at the NBA Awards ceremony. Last year, the award news was reported on a broadcast of Inside the NBA.
Who Won the First NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award?
The first-ever winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award was shooting guard Sidney Moncrief of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member was an equal force on the offensive and defensive end of the court.
In his Defensive Player of the Year winning season, his second All-Star season, Moncrief averaged 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and just 2.4 fouls in 35.7 minutes per game.
Impressively, his first award-winning season was just a precursor to winning Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive years. He is genuinely one of the NBA's greatest players!
Which Position Wins the Most Defensive Player of the Year Awards?
Centers have won the most Defensive Player of the Year Awards with 26. Small Forwards and Shooting Guards have won five, Power Forwards have won four, and Point Guards have won two.
Who Is the Youngest Ever NBA Defensive Player of the Year?
At 23 years old, Jaren Jackson Jr. (2023), Kawhi Leonard (2015), Dwight Howard (2009), and Alvin Robertson (1986) are tied as the youngest winners of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Who Is the Oldest Ever NBA Defensive Player of the Year?
At 34 years old in 2001, Dikembe Mutombo was the oldest-ever Defensive Player of the Year Award winner. Splitting the season between the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers did not deter Mutombo's defensive efforts.
Which NBA Franchises Have Won the Most NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards?
With six wins, four coming from Ben Wallace alone, the Detroit Pistons have earned the most Defensive Players of the Year. The other Pistons player to win Defensive Player of the Year was fellow Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.
Which NBA Franchises Have Never Won a Defensive Player of the Year Award?
Twelve different NBA franchises have failed to produce an NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner. Those teams are: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards.
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Christian Jope is a writer, social media strategist, and data analyst. A Queen’s University Alumni, Christian is an author and social media strategist with Raptors Cage, while also working closely with MLSE and Canada Basketball through community-driven events.
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