NBA title odds update: Lakers, Bulls on the rise after busy free agency
The NBA moratorium ended Friday morning, marking the unofficial end to free agency after the early rush of deals negotiated over the past week. While a diluted free-agent pool made for a mostly quiet offseason, there were still a handful of moves that helped reshape the futures market.
Here are the updated NBA title odds, including a few teams who helped their stock:
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets | +200 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +400 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +800 |
| Golden State Warriors | +1000 |
| Utah Jazz | +1300 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +1500 |
| Phoenix Suns | +1500 |
| Miami Heat | +1600 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1800 |
| Denver Nuggets | +2000 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +3000 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +4000 |
| Boston Celtics | +4000 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +6000 |
| Chicago Bulls | +7000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +8000 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +9000 |
| New York Knicks | +9000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +10000 |
| Toronto Raptors | +10000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +12500 |
| Washington Wizards | +15000 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +17500 |
| Sacramento Kings | +20000 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +25000 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +50000 |
| Detroit Pistons | +50000 |
| Houston Rockets | +50000 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +50000 |
| Orlando Magic | +50000 |
Los Angeles Lakers (+200)
Nobody made a bigger splash this summer than the Lakers, who traded for former MVP Russell Westbrook and filled out the rest of their roster with upside veterans on cheap deals to surround the expensive trio of Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.
The jury is out on whether that combination will work on the court - Los Angeles now has three ball-dominant stars with suspect shooting numbers - but we watched the Lakers win a title in 2019-20 behind a dominant transition game and interior presence. The club could do it again.
Golden State Warriors (+1000)
The Warriors didn't make any major moves this offseason, but they were still among the only sides to see their odds move after bettors shortened their price from an opening 11-1 offering.
Golden State was the only contender to add a top-10 pick in Jonathan Kuminga, who is already showing flashes for the 2018 champions in summer league. With Klay Thompson likely returning alongside the title core of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, this team will be a trendy championship pick come October.
Chicago Bulls (+7000)
The biggest movers this summer were easily the Bulls, who opened at 110-1 but have been slashed to 70-1 after retooling their roster during free agency. Chicago was aggressive in signing DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to lucrative deals this summer, helping Zach LaVine form one of the most exciting (and potent) backcourts in the league.
Will they all work together? Defense could be an issue, and it would best serve the team to turn one of its four of five guards into another big to work alongside Nikola Vucevic. Still, the pieces are here to make a run in the East.
New York Knicks (+9000)
The Knicks entered free agency with the most cap space of any team in the league, but the perception of how they used it likely depends on your expectation. New York is clearly better on paper after signing Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker and retaining breakout contributors Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, and Nerlens Noel.
Are the moves enough to justify title aspirations? The Knicks did secure a No. 4 seed a year ago and should be more dangerous offensively, but it could be hard to sustain last year's defensive excellence. At the very least, expect this price to shorten a bit before the year given how successful New York was in 2019-20 with a seemingly inferior roster.
C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.