2021 NBA Draft Odds: Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State early betting favorite to be No. 1 overall pick next year

The 2020 NBA Draft is in the books with the Minnesota Timberwolves staying put at the No. 1 overall selection and selecting Georgia swingman Anthony Edwards. He was the first player ever from that school to be chosen at the top of the draft. SportsLine oddsmakers already have a favorite to follow Edwards at the top in 2021, and that is Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham, the highest-ranked recruit ever at the school. No Cowboy has ever gone first. 

Via sister site 247Sports, Cunningham was the No. 1 recruit in the country in the Class of 2020, and many were surprised he stuck with his commitment to the Cowboys considering they were given a one-year postseason ban for 2020-21 for recruiting violations under a previous coaching staff. OSU has appealed that ban, and there has been no decision by the NCAA yet.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Cunningham is from Texas and won the 2020 Naismith High School Player of the Year Trophy while playing for national powerhouse Montverde High in Florida as a senior. Cunningham was the first Oklahoma State signee to ever win the award.

In addition, Cunningham was the lone freshman named to this NCAA season's Associated Press Preseason All-America team and first Cowboy named to the team since Marcus Smart in 2013. CBS Sports named Cunningham as the Preseason Freshman of the Year and All-America First-Team selection.

CBS Sports also listed Cunningham as the No. 2 player on its list of Top 101 for this season, behind only Iowa's Luke Garza, the lone player selected to one of last season's CBS Sports All-America teams who returned to college for this season. Oklahoma State opens next Wednesday (Nov. 25) at UT Arlington.

Two of the other top recruits in this year's class will not play college basketball but be paid to compete in the G-League: Jalen Green (No. 2 via 247Sports) and Jonathan Kuminga (No. 4) – they will play on the same G-League team.

USC is among the favorites to win the Pac-12 thanks to 7-foot freshman Evan Mobley. CBS Sports ranks him as the No. 10 overall player entering this season and 247Sports ranked him as the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2020. Mobley has been compared to James Wiseman, who went No. 2 overall in the 2020 draft to Golden State.

Jalen Suggs is the highest-rated player to ever commit to Gonzaga, which opened at No. 1 overall in the AP Top 25 preseason poll and the Zags are +1000 second-favorites at William Hill Sportsbook to win the 2021 national title. 247Sports ranked Suggs as the No. 11 player in the Class of 2020.

When the 2021 NBA Draft will be held is TBA, and William Hill is expected to release this coming season's NBA win totals very soon, but the Pistons, Cavaliers, Hornets and Knicks will all have the four lowest totals – the teams with the three worst records would have the best chance (14 percent each) of winning the draft lottery. 

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Early favorites to be No. 1 overall pick in 2021 NBA Draft

• Cade Cunningham +150
• Jalen Green +300
• Jonathan Kuminga +500
• Evan Mobley +600
• Jalen Suggs +1000