NBA Title Odds Post Trade Deadline
Contents
Denver Nuggets +1800
Denver has played well of late as they have moved their way into the top half of the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic is a possible MVP candidate, and they added Aaron Gordon to the offense to play alongside him. Denver likely is the perfect place for Gordon to play, given he can excel in his usual spot-up shooting and also make strong cuts off Jokic. It also gives them another defender, which will be useful when you look at who they will have to go through.
This team sits ahead of Miami and is behind the 76ers. The playoffs could have more craziness to it again, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a team in this range make the Finals again. The Nets and Lakers both are dealing with injuries and will likely be good to go once the playoffs start, but seeding could get weird in the West.
Miami Heat +2500
The Heat really struggled out of the gate, which was the case for most teams who reached the Conference Finals last season. They have straightened themselves out and also traded for Victor Oladipo. This gives them another backcourt scorer, and if Oladipo can find his old form, this will be a dangerous team again. While the East will be brutal to get out of if the Nets are all fully healthy, there is really no guarantee that they will be. Philadelphia and Milwaukee are dangerous, and Miami will likely have to go through one of them as well. The secondary players will really have to step up again and play over their heads.
The Field
Now the Bulls are not a serious team to challenge for the title, but their odds jumped from +25000. Adding Nikola Vucevic is a big get for the Bulls if they want to start putting more pieces around him and Zach LaVine. They also landed a wing from Washington with Troy Brown. The Clippers remain at +550 to win the title, as the Rondo acquisition didn’t change much for them. Portland is +5550, which is about the last serious team you would consider because, after that, it jumps to Golden State at +10000. Norman Powell gives them a solid scoring option and what should be a more consistent wing player. However, Portland’s bench remains a major issue.
We will still see where Andre Drummond or LaMarcus Aldridge go, but it seems a top contender will likely take them, and odds will remain the same for most.
