This year’s NBA Trade Deadline was quite wild with the likes of the Nets’ Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving being moved, so, yeah, Brooklyn is a big loser.
Let’s break down some NBA odds shifts at the top-rated sportsbooks for the best NBA picks for your NBA Futures selections following Thursday’s deadline.
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Suns Now Favored In West
Flash back to June 29, 2021.
The Brooklyn Nets were hosting the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Nets were the latest superteam then with their new trio of All-Stars in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
Who beats them in a playoff series if fully healthy? Harden and Irving weren’t for much of that Bucks series yet the Nets still had a chance to advance to the East Finals when they likely would have had the full trio ready to go and would have been favored to not just reach the NBA Finals but win it.
A Game Decided By Inches
In the final seconds of regulation of that Game 7 vs. the Bucks and the Nets down 109-107, Durant hit a shot that appeared to be the winning three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left. However, his toe was ever so slightly on the line, so it was a two-pointer. The game went into OT and the Nets lost.
Frankly, that was the beginning of the end of the Durant/Irving/Harden superteam – which became official this week.
“But my big ass foot stepped on the line,” Durant said at the time. “I just saw how close I was to ending their season with that shot.”
Changes Began After Milwaukee Series
Harden forced his way out during the following season because he was tired of Irving’s antics. Irving forced his way out last Sunday in being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, and then Durant asked ownership to trade him as well, landing with the Phoenix Suns on Thursday to form another superteam with fellow stars Chris Paul and Devin Booker in the desert – and former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton is no slouch, either.
Durant is a four-time scoring champion and Paul a four-time assist champion. It will be the first instance of a four-time scoring champ and a four-time assist champ playing together.
The Suns are much thinner after trading very underrated players Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson – along with a ton of draft picks – to Brooklyn and will pay a steep luxury tax bill, but when you get a chance to get an all-time great, even if he’s a bit injury-prone, you do it. New Suns owner Mat Ishbia, officially approved on Tuesday, wanted to help his fan base forget awful former owner Robert Sarver, and he did that in a big way.
Durant Trade Shifts Power to the West
All books are different, but for the most part, the Suns shifted from (+1800) to (+450) to win the NBA title by adding Durant, now only behind Boston (+350). Phoenix was (+750) to win the West and is now the (+225) favorite.
The Suns have never won an NBA title. It’s been 54 consecutive seasons entering 2022-23, the third-longest active streak only behind the Kings (71) and Hawks (64), and neither of those two teams is winning it this summer.
Keep in mind that Durant will not debut until after the All-Star break as he continues to rehab from a knee injury. Booker just got back from a long injury absence. At 30-27, the Suns currently sit sixth in the West. They probably can get as high as second, currently held by Memphis (33-21). Also, keep in mind that several players who will be bought out will likely want to sign with Phoenix to chase a title.
Dallas Dreaming Big Too
Dallas (30-26) was as high as (+3000) to win the NBA title and is now (+1200) with the acquisition of Irving to pair with fellow superstar Luka Doncic – the Mavs actually were ahead of the Suns at (+700) to win the West before the Durant trade.
Now Dallas is a (+800) sixth-favorite at the top-rated books. The Mavericks took huge immediate action at the books following the deal, but now the Suns are taking by far the most. Irving and the Mavs host Durant and the Suns on March 5. Circle that one.
Nuggets Mostly Stand Pat
Denver is almost surely going to finish with the West’s best record and this writer would have picked the Nuggets to reach their first NBA Finals before the Durant trade.
All Denver did ahead of the deadline was ship out young guard Bones Hyland, who had fallen out of the rotation, and add a backup center, Thomas Bryant.
The Nugs are now (+325) second favorites in the West and (+800) to win it all.
Other Western Conference Contenders
Assuming full health, I only give the Suns, Nuggets, and LA Clippers chances to win the West. LA did very well ahead of the deadline in adding center Mason Plumlee from Charlotte, guard Eric Gordon from Houston, and Hyland from Denver. Plumlee is having a career year in averaging 12.2 points and 9.7 rebounds, and Gordon is instant offense off the bench, averaging 13.1 ppg.
This team is incredibly deep now and both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are good enough defensively to at least slow Durant somewhat in a possible playoff matchup. I also expect Russell Westbrook, traded by the Lakers to Utah, to sign with the Clippers when the Jazz buy him out. The Clips are (+500) to win the West for the first time and (+950) for the NBA title.
The Lakers should at least make the play-in tournament now (although (+125) underdog to do so) after adding D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Mo Bamba, but it’s not a threat in the West.
Status Quo In East
As for the Eastern Conference, really nothing changed.
Boston is the (+150) favorite in the East and added a complimentary piece in Oklahoma City’s Mike Muscala, a solid backup big man who can shoot three-pointers. Milwaukee (+250 in East) got Jae Crowder from the Nets via the Suns, and Crowder is a prototypical 3-and-D guy with a playoff pedigree The Sixers (+450) added backup center Jalen McDaniels from Charlotte.
Can the East Keep Up?
The East is clearly weaker overall than the West now even though Boston is the (+350) title favorite. Brooklyn obviously isn’t winning anything at this point, now (+10000) to win the NBA title.
With the Nets trading both Irving and Durant, it marks the first time a team had two All-Stars on the roster to start a season and both players changed teams later in the season. Still think the Nets make the playoffs, probably as the No. 6 seed.
That a Western Conference team wins the Finals is (-130) and the East is (+105) and I lean West even though it will be a dogfight just to get out of that conference. Every team made a trade this week except the Wizards, Cavaliers, and Bulls, that is.
NBA Pick: West team wins Finals (-130) at Top Rated Sportsbooks
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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