Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren (+130) maintains his hold atop the betting odds leaderboard for 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors. His biggest challenger in San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama (+380) has already missed 12 games due to injury, putting him at risk of failing to meet the league's 65-game eligibility requirement for end-of-season hardware for a second year in a row.
Here's a look at where Holmgren, Wembanyama and all other contenders for the Hakeem Olajuwon trophy currently sit via the updated betting odds.
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2026 NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | +145 |
| Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs | +380 |
| Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat | +650 |
| Amen Thompson | Houston Rockets | +850 |
| Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | +2000 |
| Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | +2000 |
| Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors | +2000 |
| Dyson Daniels | Atlanta Hawks | +2500 |
| Ausar Thompson | Detroit Pistons | +2500 |
| Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | +5000 |
| Cason Wallace | Oklahoma City Thunder | +5000 |
| Jalen Suggs | Orlando Magic | +7500 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | Oklahoma City Thunder | +7500 |
| Luguentz Dort | Oklahoma City Thunder | +7500 |
| Ivica Zubac | Los Angeles Clippers | +10000 |
| O.G. Anunoby | New York Knicks | +10000 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | +10000 |
| Toumani Camara | Portland Trail Blazers | +10000 |
| Mikal Bridges | New York Knicks | +10000 |
| Derrick White | Boston Celtics | +15000 |
| Jaden McDaniels | Minnesota Timberwolves | +15000 |
Odds as of December 16, 2025 at FanDuel Sportsbook
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GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Fees may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 10/19/25. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/
Past 10 NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Winners
| Year | Player | Team | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | +1200 |
| 2024 | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | +2000 |
| 2023 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | +2000 |
| 2022 | Marcus Smart | Boston Celtics | +4000 |
| 2021 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | +300 |
| 2020 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | +400 |
| 2019 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | +163 |
| 2018 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | +325 |
| 2017 | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | +550 |
| 2016 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | +550 |
Who Has Won The Most NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Awards?
| DPOY Awards | Player | Team(s) | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Dikembe Mutombo | Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks (2), Philadelphia 76ers | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 |
| 4 | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| 4 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz (3), Minnesota Timberwolves | 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 |
| 3 | Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| 2 | Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | 1983, 1984 |
| 2 | Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 1985, 1989 |
| 2 | Dennis Rodman | Detroit Pistons | 1990, 1991 |
| 2 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 1993, 1994 |
| 2 | Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | 1999, 2000 |
| 2 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 2015, 2016 |
NBA Teams With The Most Defensive Player Of The Year Awards
| Awards | Team | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Detroit Pistons | 1990, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| 5 | Utah Jazz | 1985, 1989, 2018, 2019, 2021 |
| 4 | San Antonio Spurs | 1986, 1992, 2015, 2016 |
| 3 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1983, 1984, 2020 |
| 3 | Orlando Magic | 2009, 2010, 2011 |
NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Winners By Position
| Position | DPOY Wins |
|---|---|
| Center | 30 |
| Shooting Guard | 5 |
| Small Forward | 5 |
| Power Forward | 4 |
| Point Guard | 2 |
NBA Teams With Zero Defensive Player Of The Year Winners
The following teams have never had an NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards.
How To Read NBA Defensive Player Of the Year Odds
When you visit your NBA betting site of choice, you’ll notice 2025-26 NBA MVP odds laid out like this:
- Victor Wembanyama -170
- Chet Holmgren +650
It's like a moneyline bet where favorites are shown by the minus sign (-) and underdogs have a plus sign (+). In this scenario, Victor Wembanyama is favored. If you were to bet $100 on Wembanyama in the NBA DPOY betting odds and it hits, you would win $58.82 – your $100 is returned and you would get $58.82 in profit.
If you were to bet on which player will be named DPOY, you would make a futures bet.
What Is A Futures Bet?
This is a bet made on events that will happen in time. In this case, it’s DPOY. To make a futures bet, you would first use the handicapping info on this page to make your decision. Our Odds Calculator can give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the DPOY odds and the amount of money you bet.
