All you need to know about the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award, including the latest odds, past winners, when the award is announced, and more.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds

Rudy Gobert	+550
Anthony Davis	+600
Jaren Jackson Jr.	+800
Evan Mobley	+900
Victor Wembanyama	+900
Brook Lopez	+1200
Bam Adebayo	+1400
Giannis Antetokounmpo	+1600

Rudy Gobert +550

A three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and a six-time All-Defensive team member, Gobert is back to his best defensively after last season's growing pains regarding his then-new partnership with fellow seven-footer Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota.

In 11 games, Gobert is averaging 2.3 blocks per game, tied for his third-best season in that stat.

Anthony Davis +600

When healthy, Davis is one of the most imposing defenders in the NBA. 

The 2020 NBA champion has led the league in blocks three times across 11 seasons coming into 2023/24. He’s averaged more than two blocks per game nine times and more than a steal per game in every season of his career. He’s been named to four All-Defensive teams, including twice to the First Team.

Where Davis falls short is his ability to stay on the court. This will be key given the NBA’s new rules, which prohibit players form winning certain awards if they do not play at least 65 regular season games. 

Davis has not played 65 games in a regular season since 2017/18.

Jaren Jackson Jr. +800

The Grizzlies’ forward managed career-high averages for blocks, steals and rebounds last year as his side took the second seed in the Western Conference. It was a turbulent year for Memphis, but Jackson Jr was a consistent presence on the defensive end. 

One drawback to JJJ last season was that he featured in just 63 regular-season games. The NBA have introduced a new rule this season that major award winners need to feature in a minimum of 65 games, although that isn’t too big of a concern for Jackson Jr. 

The forward missed the first 14 games of last season as part of the recovery from an off-season surgery he had at the tail end of the 2021/22 campaign. Once he made his first appearance of the campaign, he played in 63 of the remaining 68 games. 

However, a concern is that he has yet to average 29 minutes a night across his five seasons in the league. He played just over 28 minutes per game last term, a repeat of that could hamper his chances of going back-to-back.

Evan Mobley +900

Mobley placed third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in just his second season in the league. The third pick in the 2021 draft arrived in the league as an impressive defensive presence. 

Mobley is a seven-foot forward with a 7-4 wingspan and he’s capable of guarding 1 through 5 on the court. Not only that, but he was the standout defender for a Cleveland Cavaliers side which was the best defensive unit in the NBA last term.

Mobley made it into the All-Defensive first team last term and he should go from strength to strength in his third season in the league. 

The Cavs adding Max Strus to their starting lineup at small forward should add to Mobley’s defensive workload, but that could put him over the top in this year’s vote. 

Victor Wembanyama +900

‘Wemby’ has taken the NBA by storm with his 7-4 frame and 8-foot wingspan. The 2023 top pick can seemingly affect a shot no matter where he is on the court, and has the ability to guard both in the paint and on the perimeter.

A rookie has never won NBA Defensive Player of the Year, but if anyone can break that streak, it is Wembanyama. 

Brook Lopez +1200

Lopez finished second in 2023 DPOY voting after posting the best defensive campaign in his 15-year career. The Bucks center averaged 2.5 blocks per game, playing 78 games on the way to Milwaukee finishing with the NBA’s best regular season record.

Lopez, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, are the defensive anchors for a Bucks team that has consistently been one of the best defensive sides in the league in recent seasons.

Lopez’s consistency and stability allow Giannis to defend on the perimeter, a defensive combination that will stifle offensive sets and gameplans all season long. 

Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Winners

Year	Winner	Team
2022-23	Jaren Jackson Jr.	Memphis Grizzlies
2021-22	Marcus Smart	Boston Celtics
2020-21	Rudy Gobert	Utah Jazz
2019-20	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Milwaukee Bucks
2018-19	Rudy Gobert	Utah Jazz
2017-18	Rudy Gobert	Utah Jazz
2016-17	Draymond Green	Golden State Warriors
2015-16	Kawhi Leonard	San Antonio Spurs
2014-15	Kawhi Leonard	San Antonio Spurs
2013-14	Joakim Noah	Chicago Bulls
2012-13	Marc Gasol	Memphis Grizzlies
2011-12	Tyson Chandler	New York Knicks
2010-11	Dwight Howard	Orlando Magic
2009-10	Dwight Howard	Orlando Magic
2008-09	Dwight Howard	Orlando Magic
2007-08	Kevin Garnett	Boston Celtics
2006-07	Marcus Camby	Denver Nuggets
2005-06	Ben Wallace	Detroit Pistons
2004-05	Ben Wallace	Detroit Pistons
2003-04	Ron Artest	Indiana Pacers
2002-03	Ben Wallace	Detroit Pistons
2001-02	Ben Wallace	Detroit Pistons
2000-01	Dikembe Mutombo	Philadelphia 76ers
1999-00	Alonzo Mourning	Miami Heat
1998-99	Alonzo Mourning	Miami Heat
1997-98	Dikembe Mutombo	Houston Rockets
1996-97	Dikembe Mutombo	Atlanta Hawks
1995-96	Gary Payton	Seattle SuperSonics
1994-95	Dikembe Mutombo	Denver Nuggets
1993-94	Hakeem Olajuwon	Houston Rockets
1992-93	Hakeem Olajuwon	Houston Rockets
1991-92	David Robinson	San Antonio Spurs
1990-91	Dennis Rodman	Detroit Pistons
1989-90	Dennis Rodman	Detroit Pistons
1988-89	Mark Eaton	Utah Jazz
1987-88	Michael Jordan	Chicago Bulls
1986-87	Michael Cooper	Los Angeles Lakers
1985-86	Alvin Robertson	San Antonio Spurs
1984-85	Mark Eaton	Utah Jazz
1983-84	Sidney Moncrief	Milwaukee Bucks
1982-83	Sidney Moncrief	Milwaukee Bucks

When is NBA Defensive Player of the Year announced?

The NBA Defensive Player of the Year award is typically announced during the NBA Playoffs. In 2023, the announcement that Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. won the award came on April 17.

Who votes on the NBA Defensive Player of the Year?

The NBA Defensive Player of the Year award is voted on by a panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for their first, second, and third place selections, with each vote worth five, three, and one point, respectively. The player with the highest point total, regardless of first-place votes, wins the award.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy

The trophy for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award is named after Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. The trophy is a crystal-sculpted basket that holds a gold player figurine in a classic defensive stance.