NBA odds: Title futures on move after trades, Celtics new favorites
As we always say around these parts, things change fast in the Association!
That was evident last week as we saw major player movement the second free agency opened, which impacted NBA title odds. We are still waiting on a few more potential moves that have the ability to alter the entire landscape of the league, ahem, Kevin Durant.
Now that we have a brief lull in the action we thought it would be a good time to highlight the three major moves of the past few days and look at how the title odds at FOX Bet shifted for the teams involved.
Minnesota Timberwolves +4000 to win title at FOX Bet
Minnesota gets: Rudy Gobert
Utah Jazz gets: Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Walter Kessler Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Balmero, four first-round picks
In the biggest blockbuster trade thus far, the Utah Jazz traded center Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves for a massive haul that returns nine players in total — five players and four picks. Giving up nine players for one is always a risky proposition, but Minnesota is doubling down on The Stifle Tower and is finally a contender after what feels like a rebuild that has been going on ever since Kevin Garnett moved to Bean Town.
Coming off their second winning season in the last 17 years, this move adds a tremendous defensive presence to a team that already has a top-10 offensive rating. The addition of Rudy Gobert will allow Karl Anthony Towns to play power forward — where he is more comfortable — and make up for the defensive lapses of D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards.
Is this enough for Minnesota to gain home court in the first round? That remains to be seen. However, it is clear that the Timberwolves are swinging for the fences on this one.
Timberwolves' title odds before trade: +6000 at FOX Bet
Timberwolves' title odds after trade: +4000 at FOX Bet
Atlanta Hawks +4000 to win title at FOX Bet
Atlanta Hawks get: Dejounte Murray
San Antonio Spurs get: Danilo Gallinari, 2023 first-round pick (via Charlotte), 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, future pick swap with Atlanta
In another shocking move, the San Antonio Spurs have thrown all of their chips into the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes by trading away their best player for Danilo Gallinari and four future picks.
Atlanta gets a running mate for Trae Young and adds another dynamic presence to a team desperately in need of one. It’s no surprise that the Hawks rely heavily on Young, as he is one of the best floor generals in the NBA. However, when he sits, Atlanta's offense drops efficiency levels as the sets become stagnant and no one can create their own shot.
The addition of Murray will certainly help in that regard and provide relief when Trae is faced with tougher playoff defenses like Miami and Milwaukee.
Having reached the conference finals in 2021, it would not be surprising to see Atlanta soar to new heights next season.
Hawks' title odds before trade: +7000 at FOX Bet
Hawks' title odds after trade: +4000 at FOX Bet
Boston Celtics +550 to win title at FOX Bet
Boston Celtics get: Malcolm Brogdon
Indiana Pacers get: Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, 2023 first-round pick
And just like that, the Boston Celtics have become the favorite to win the 2023 NBA championship.
During their 2022 run, one of the biggest issues for the Celtics was the lack of a floor general that could steady the offensive ship when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were cold.
This was never more evident than in the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals in which Boston turned the ball over approximately 10,000 times as they attempted to survive.
By adding Brogdon they have a knockdown three-point shooter that can distribute the ball and is unrelenting on the defensive end. With Malcolm, the NBA Finals' outcome could have been drastically different.
Of course, with Brogdon comes the injury concerns, as he has never remained healthy for a full season and only played in nine games so far this calendar year. Nevertheless, with his intangibles and pedigree, this is a great addition to a Boston team that just shored up their biggest issue.
Celtics' title odds before trade: +600 at FOX Bet
Celtics' title odds after trade: +550 at FOX Bet
So, who are you throwing some money on to win it all? The NBA season will be here before we know it, so stay tuned as we highlight the odds shifts with more free agency moves and trades to come. In the meantime, make sure to get your futures bets in at FOX Bet!
Play FOX Super 6 every week for your chance to win thousands of dollars every week. Just download the Super 6 app and make your picks today!