The NBA Draft 2018 isn't even 24 hours old yet and there's already speculation on which rookie will emerge as the best player of his class. The Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks had the first three picks, and with those selections could receive a major boost to their rosters. Time will tell if that happens in the next season, but early NBA Rookie of the Year odds for 2019 have been unveiled already.

Ayton and Doncic leading the way

Ayton, Bagley III, Doncic, Jackson Jr., and Young were the first five to go in Thursday's 2018 edition of the NBA Draft.

Despite Doncic going to the Atlanta Hawks, he was eventually part of an early draft trade with the Dallas Mavs. They chose Trae Young fifth and sent him to the "ATL." That sent early excitement through the league. All five of these top players and many others have been touted as having the potential to become future stars in the league. On Friday (June 22), the opening odds to win the NBA's ROY award for next season arrived from Odds Shark (via Bovada sportsbook). The Suns' Ayton and Mavs' Doncic are already leading the way, although Marvin Bagley III isn't far behind the international product known as "Wonderboy."

Phoenix's Deandre Ayton has the potential to be big, or a bust, much like previous big men before him.

He's hoping that his NBA career looks more like that of former No. 1 picks like Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis, rather than Greg Oden or Kwame Brown's careers. The same goes for Luka Doncic. He'll join a struggling Mavericks team that desperately needs more star power. They'll be losing Dirk Nowitzki in the near future based on previous NBA stars' career lengths.

Nowitzki is 40 years old and will provide mentorship to the player that is half his age and full of talent. However, there have been plenty of players coming out of Europe that were dubbed the next big star from overseas. Doncic has his work cut out for him to prove the doubters wrong, but he seems to have the goods.

Other contenders for NBA ROY

As seen on the Bovada odds from Odds Shark, there are plenty of other NBA rookies listed. While Trae Young and Jaren Jackson Jr. have decent odds, other rookies are long shots to win the award. Young will join a young Atlanta Hawks team still searching for an identity and a return to relevance. Jackson Jr. is in a similar position, but he might have the benefit of playing with two former All-Star teammates in Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.

Longshots on the list include Mohamed Bamba, the talented big man from Texas at +1100. He'll be on a frontline in Orlando with Aaron Gordon, who seems destined for the All-Star team. There's also Michael Porter Jr., whom the Denver Nuggets took the risk on.

He's a +1500 favorite to win ROY, but questions about his back injury and ability to play next season jeopardize his chances at the award. He could also end up as the steal of this year's draft.

Two players headed to teams that made the Eastern Conference playoffs last season are also long shots. Philadelphia originally took Mikal Bridges, a home state college player, but dealt him to Phoenix in a trade that brought Zhaire Smith to Philly. Smith has +4500 chances to win rookie of the year.

LeBron James' potential teammate, the Alabama guard Collin Sexton, has +2200 odds to win the award, tying him with the Suns' Bridges.

It's hard to know what impact these young players will have on teams that were competing in the postseason, as they have several major stars in place. It's certainly going to be an interesting season to watch unfold and there appears to be plenty of talent ready to carry the NBA into the future.
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