NBA Rookie of The Year (ROY) Rankings 2024-25: Top 5 candidates after Week 18 ft. Zaccharie Risacher

With a little over a month left in the regular season, the NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY) race will only get more interesting. Stephon Castle and Jaylen Wells seem headed for a close finish, but the players in the top 5 can still give them a push. An injury or a poor stretch could still change the rankings with a few more weeks left before the playoffs start.

Isaiah Collier is making a strong push for a top 5 consideration as the regular season winds down. The Utah Jazz point guard is in the midst of a stretch that could see him challenge the usual contenders should one slip or suffer a slump.

Here are how the top first-year pros fared in the latest edition of the NBA Rookie of the Year rankings.

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2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings

#5. Kel’el Ware

Kel’el Ware had another solid week but could not hold off another player who earned Eastern Rookie of the Month honors in February. The Miami Heat forward averaged 10.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his last three games. He would have retained the No. 4 spot if not for some impressive play from the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

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#4. Zacharrie Risacher

Zaccharie Risacher has been inching back into the top 5 as an explosive past two weeks saw him leapfrog over Yves Missi and Kel’el Ware. The Frenchman averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists last week.

He has taken a bigger role for the Atlanta Hawks amid injury issues. The Hawks continue to struggle, but Risacher has stood out.

The best outing for Risacher last week was against Jaylen Wells and the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. He dropped 27 points and played crucial minutes in Atlanta’s 132-130 win. The versatile forward deserves the No. 4 spot in the NBA Rookie of the Year ladder.

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#3. Zach Edey

The Grizzlies went 0-4 last week, but Zach Edey had another strong week. He averaged 12.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 1.5 BPG in four outings. The 7-foot-4 big man still finds himself on the bench when Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins opts for more shooting. Still, he has been impactful for his team when he plays.

Risacher is nipping at his heels, so he better step up to keep his place in the NBA Rookie of the Year race.

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#2. Jaylen Wells

Jaylen Wells continues to play more minutes with better usage than Edey. He is a fixture in the starting lineup and continues to have the trust of Taylor Jenkins for his two-way impact.

The No. 39 pick in the 2024 draft averaged 11.0 PPG, 3.3 APG and 3.0 RPG last week. He continues to have a stranglehold of the No. 2 spot in the NBA Rookie of the Year race.

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#1. Stephon Castle

Stephon Castle extended his lead against Wells in the NBA Rookie of the Year race after last week’s performance. The San Antonio Spurs combo guard averaged 23.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 5.3 APG.

Against Wells and the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Castle had 24 points, seven assists and three rebounds to help the San Antonio Spurs win 130-128.

Less than 24 hours later, the former UConn star dropped 32 points on the OKC Thunder’s top-ranked defense. San Antonio lost 146-132, but Castle had another impressive outing.