Kon Knueppel is expected to vie for the Rookie of the Year honors, especially after the way he headlined the Charlotte Hornets show in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League. However, Liam McNeeley could overtake him and the other favorites for the award at the end of the 2025-26 regular season.
Since 1958, only four players who were selected outside of the top 10 in the draft have bagged the prize. Those who pulled it off were Jamaal Wilkes (11th overall pick) in 1974-75, Mark Jackson (18th) in 1987-88, Michael Carter-Williams (11th) in 2013-14, and Malcolm Brogdon (36th) in 2016-17.