76ers Rookie Jared McCain’s Injury Shifts Major Award Odds

What did Jared McCain's injury do to the Rookie of the Year odds?

Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) in action against the Indiana Pacers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Before Philadelphia 76ers first-round pick Jared McCain went down with an injury, he was widely viewed as the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.

While McCain doesn’t have a timeline in place for his injury recovery just yet, one major sportsbook assumes he won’t be eligible to take home the major award at the end of the season.

According to FanDuel, McCain is no longer in the Rookie of the Year picture. As a result, there is a new favorite coming out of Texas.

San Antonio Spurs’ fourth-overall pick Stephon Castle is now the favorite, with his odds set at +150.

Dec 6, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The following two are New Orleans Pelicans’ Yves Missi (+250) and Los Angeles Lakers’ Dalton Knecht (+500). The first-overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, comes in fourth with odds set at +1000.

This season, McCain appeared in 23 games for the 76ers. Although he didn’t have a steady role in the rotation right off the bat, it didn’t take long for Nick Nurse to consistently utilize the rookie as injuries piled up. McCain ended up doing well enough to keep his minutes when the team got healthier.

Spending 25 minutes on the court throughout his first stretch, McCain has averaged 15 points on 46 percent shooting from the field. He’s also launching six threes per game, averaging 38 percent from deep.

Weeks before his injury, McCain revealed that winning the Rookie of the Year nod was a highlighted goal of his. Unfortunately, his opportunity seemingly slipped away when he reported knee soreness following Philly’s Friday night loss against the Indiana Pacers last week.

The Sixers had McCain get an MRI on his knee. It turned out he was dealing with a lateral meniscus tear. On Tuesday, McCain underwent surgery to repair his injury. For the time being, his recovery timeline is not clear.