NBA Clutch Player of the Year 2024: Top 5 candidates ft. Dejounte Murray (Week 23)

A new challenger has emerged for the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award, based on the latest odds provided by Bovada in Atlanta Hawks gunner Dejounte Murray. Although Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan remains in the lead, his battle against Golden State Warrior Steph Curry has become tighter.

Here are the odds for the top five players in the NBA Clutch Player of the Year race after everything that transpired in the last week.

2024 NBA Clutch Player of the Year frontrunners for Week 23

#5 Dejounte Murray (+10000)

Dejounte Murray has become the new prime contender for the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award based on Bovada odds, moving up to No. 5 in the rankings and dropping Denver Nugget Nikola Jokic to seventh.

Although he's still a longshot at plus-10000, Murray may have put the voters for the Clutch Player of the Year award on notice with his game-winner against the Boston Celtics, which capped a career-high 44 points.

#4 Damian Lillard (+6000)

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard dropped down a notch in the Bovada odds for the NBA Clutch Player of the Year. “Dame Time” is now just good for fourth place with a plus-6000 underdog odds.

Lillard struggled against the LA Lakers on Tuesday, only making 9-for-29 from the field, which hurt his chances for the said award, as the Lakers barely escaped a double-overtime thriller.

He also missed the Bucks’ Saturday game against the Hawks due to personal reasons, but the Bucks prevailed soundly.

#3 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+1600)

Thanks to a game-winner on Sunday against the New York Knicks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s chances of winning the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award suddenly zoomed up significantly Bovada odds-wise.

The OKC Thunder main man is a plus-1600 underdog and in third place, powered by his baseline jumper, which gave Oklahoma City the victory in Manhattan.

#2 Stephen Curry (+120)

Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry remains in second place in the awards race, but his Bovada odds improved to a plus-120 underdog.

What catapulted the NBA’s all-time 3-point king’s chances was his dagger three in Orlando coupled with his trademark “Night night” goal celebration.

#1 DeMar DeRozan (-150)

Yes, Chicago Bull DeMar DeRozan is still in the lead, but the last week is further proof that even in the odds for a certain individual award, no lead is safe, all the more that he's down to a minus-150 favorite.

With the top five players chasing better postseason seedings, expect more clutch moments from them. That could also mean that DeRozan could be dethroned in the odds race if he produces less significant moments.