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NBA: Top 10 Candidates For Rookie Of The Year Award In 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver holds a basketball while posing for a photo with draft prospects from left Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) , Ben Simmons (LSU), Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence) before the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver holds a basketball while posing for a photo with draft prospects from left Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) , Ben Simmons (LSU), Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence) before the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the 2016-17 NBA season approaches, here’s a look at the 10 most likely candidates to win the league’s Rookie of the Year Award.

NBA
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver holds a basketball while posing for a photo with draft prospects from left Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) , Ben Simmons (LSU), Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence) before the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

[Updated 10/4/16 to reflect Ben Simmons’ injury]

With 30 teams and only one championship trophy handed out each year, there are 29 NBA fan bases that are left wanting more at the end of every season.

Some teams are contenders who fell short; some are contenders on the rise who will get another crack at a title; some teams are just fighting for a playoff spot and others are just trying to rebuild in the hopes of joining the contenders one day.

For many of the teams who miss the playoffs, and even for some of those who sneak into the postseason, the NBA Draft is a source of hope. Even with all the changes to the salary cap and free agency, the draft is still the best avenue for teams to cultivate championship-level talent.

In the 2016 NBA Draft, plenty of teams found promising young rookies to help build for a brighter future. Not every selection was a franchise player, but most of the teams in the draft lottery will be excited to see what their rookie(s) can do in the upcoming season.

Related Story: Top 10 Candidates For 2016-17 Coach Of The Year Award

Bearing that in mind, it’s time to take a look at which first-year players not only have the talent to separate themselves from the rest of the draft class, but the opportunity to play a prominent role on their teams right from the start. Here are the top 10 candidates for the NBA’s 2016-17 Rookie of the Year Award.

Honorable Mentions:  Jakob Poeltl, Dario Saric, Jamal Murray, Juan Hernangomez, Dejounte Murray