Fresh off the 2020 NBA Draft, Hornets pick LaMelo Ball was installed by most sportsbooks as the favorite to win next season’s Rookie of the Year.
Ball went #3 overall, should play a prominent role in the offense and brings professional experience overseas. Ball has been listed as an early +400 frontrunner with the special Wlliam Hill promo offer, who have priced 34 of the top names expected to compete for ROY.
That contingent doesn’t include Syracuse’s own Elijah Hughes, who was drafted 39th overall by the Jazz via a trade with the Pelicans.
The 6’6” wing will likely start as a rotational piece, not only because of the 2nd Round status but also because the Jazz are a very good team, but he may become an important player under coach Quin Snyder.
Jazz rookies don’t have a great history. Darrell Griffith is the only ROY-winner the franchise has produced, and that was all the way back in the 1980-81 season. Griffith was the #2 pick in 1980, but Hughes can dream considering it was only three years ago that Malcolm Brogdon surprised from No. 36 to tops in the rookie class.
2020-21 NBA ROTY Odds (Top 15)
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets): +400
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves): +450
Obi Toppin (New York Knicks): +600
James Wiseman (Golden State Warriors): +600
Killian Hayes (Detroit Pistons): +700
Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards): +1400
Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings): +1400
Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks): +1600
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers): +1600
Kira Lewis Jr. (New Orleans Pelicans): +3300
Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls): +3300
RJ Hampton (Denver Nuggets): +5000
Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder): +5000
Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks): +5000
Devin Vassell (Seattle Supersonics): +5000
Odds via DraftKings.
Hughes will get to make use of his considerable three-point upside in Salt Lake City, with Utah boasting the best three-point percentage of any team in the NBA last season (38%). At times Hughes was asked to do too much with SU and faltered. That won’t ever be the case for the Jazz, a contender in the West.
He’ll join two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Golbert and 2019-20 All-Star Donovan Mitchell for starters, while the return of Bojan Bogdanovic will spark the team’s hopes of making it back to the playoffs.
Hughes hasn’t been included in the initial Rookie of the Year odds for a reason, and it would be a feat for him to even gain a pricing this season. 
That being said, fans also shouldn‚Äôt discount the sizeable room for growth of a player who will be largely free of pressure. There’s always Vegas dreamers, baby. Sixtieth pick Woody Sauldsberry once won it – 63 years ago with the Philadelphia Warriors.
| Season | Player | Team | Draft Position | Draft Year |
| 1980–81 | Darrell Griffith | Utah Jazz | 2 | 1980 |
| 1981–82 | Buck Williams | New Jersey Nets | 3 | 1981 |
| 1982–83 | Terry Cummings | San Diego Clippers | 2 | 1982 |
| 1983–84 | Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets | 1 | 1983 |
| 1984–85 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 3 | 1984 |
| 1985–86 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | 1 | 1985 |
| 1986–87 | Chuck Person | Indiana Pacers | 4 | 1986 |
| 1987–88 | Mark Jackson | New York Knicks | 18 | 1987 |
| 1988–89 | Mitch Richmond | Golden State Warriors | 5 | 1988 |
| 1989–90 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 1 | 1987 |
| 1990–91 | Derrick Coleman | New Jersey Nets | 1 | 1990 |
| 1991–92 | Larry Johnson | Charlotte Hornets | 1 | 1991 |
| 1992–93 | Shaquille O’Neal | Orlando Magic | 1 | 1992 |
| 1993–94 | Chris Webber | Golden State Warriors | 1 | 1993 |
| 1994–95[c] | Jason Kidd | Dallas Mavericks | 2 | 1994 |
| 1994–95[c] | Grant Hill | Detroit Pistons | 3 | 1994 |
| 1995–96 | Damon Stoudamire | Toronto Raptors | 7 | 1995 |
| 1996–97 | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | 1 | 1996 |
| 1997–98 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 1 | 1997 |
| 1998–99 | Vince Carter | Toronto Raptors | 5 | 1998 |
| 1999–00[c] | Elton Brand | Chicago Bulls | 1 | 1999 |
| 1999–00[c] | Steve Francis | Houston Rockets | 2 | 1999 |
| 2000–01 | Mike Miller | Orlando Magic | 5 | 2000 |
| 2001–02 | Pau Gasol | Memphis Grizzlies | 3 | 2001 |
| 2002‚Äì03 | Amar’e Stoudemire | Phoenix Suns | 9 | 2002 |
| 2003–04 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 | 2003 |
| 2004–05 | Emeka Okafor | Charlotte Bobcats | 2 | 2004 |
| 2005–06 | Chris Paul | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | 4 | 2005 |
| 2006–07 | Brandon Roy | Portland Trail Blazers | 6 | 2006 |
| 2007–08 | Kevin Durant | Seattle SuperSonics | 2 | 2007 |
| 2008–09 | Derrick Rose | Chicago Bulls | 1 | 2008 |
| 2009–10 | Tyreke Evans | Sacramento Kings | 4 | 2009 |
| 2010–11 | Blake Griffin | Los Angeles Clippers | 1 | 2009 |
| 2011–12 | Kyrie Irving | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 | 2011 |
| 2012–13 | Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | 6 | 2012 |
| 2013–14 | Michael Carter-Williams | Philadelphia 76ers | 11 | 2013 |
| 2014–15 | Andrew Wiggins | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 | 2014 |
| 2015–16 | Karl Anthony-Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 | 2015 |
| 2016–17 | Malcolm Brogdon | Milwaukee Bucks | 36 | 2016 |
| 2017–18 | Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers | 1 | 2016[j] |
| 2018–19 | Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks | 3 | 2018 |
| 2019–20 | Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies | 2 | 2019 |
