Maybe we should let the Warriors have their championship parade down Market Street before we focus on next season’s champion...
Nah.
In the spirit of 29 franchises ready to move on, here are the championship odds for next season from our partners at PointsBet:
Boston Celtics +600
Golden State Warriors +600
Los Angeles Clippers +600
Brooklyn Nets +700
Milwaukee Bucks +750
Phoenix Suns +900
Memphis Grizzlies +1400
Miami Heat +1400
Philadelphia 76ers +1400
Dallas Mavericks +1600
Denver Nuggets +1600
Los Angeles Lakers +2000
New Orleans Pelicans +4000
Utah Jazz +4000
Chicago Bulls +5000
Toronto Raptors +5000
Minnesota Timberwolves +6600
Atlanta Hawks +8000
Cleveland Cavaliers +8000
Charlotte Hornets +12500
Portland Trail Blazers +15000
New York Knicks +20000
San Antonio Spurs +25000
Washington Wizards +25000
Detroit Pistons +50000
Houston Rockets +50000
Indiana Pacers +50000
Oklahoma City Thunder +50000
Orlando Magic +50000
Sacramento Kings +50000
A few quick thoughts on this list (but don’t take this as betting advice, remember I picked the Mavericks over the Warriors in six):
• The Celtics and Warriors deserve to be on top of the list.
• Having the Clippers on their level is smart — they may be a popular pick to win it all next season with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George healthy. Considering this was a playoff team largely without them this season, that is a solid base to add two potential All-NBA players to.
• The Bucks at +750 strike me as a good value bet, with a healthy Khris Middleton who knows how far they go in these playoffs.
• Denver at +1600 is my favorite bet on the board — with Jamal Murray back and a healthy Michael Porter Jr. (*knocks on wood*) to pair with Nikola Jokic, this team is a legit threat to win it all entering the season.
• If you believe in Pat Riley’s offseason magic, the Heat could be another value title bet.
• That +2000 is a tempting number for the large Lakers nation, but the team requires a serious roster upgrade and they don’t have many clear paths to that this offseason. I would keep my powder dry on that one.
