The NBA futures odds have been about as stable as Gary Busey trading bitcoin this summer, with speculation and rumor fueling early movement in the spring and big-name signings – like LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers – shaking up the odds board in Las Vegas, New Jersey, and offshore this past week.
The wheeling and dealing is far from over, but the biggest free-agent talents have now all found homes and, outside of the San Antonio Spurs trading Kawhi Leonard, the NBA Championship odds should settle down.
Here’s a look at the current NBA futures markets, with odds from the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook and offshore MyBookie.ag:
Golden State Warriors (-175)
The Warriors opened as favorites – even before beating the Cavs in the finals - when the Superbook posted early odds on the 2018-19 season back in June, with the Dubs at +125. After winning the NBA Championship yet again, Golden State dipped to EVEN money and kept moving into the -120 range before the Lakers signed LeBron.
That pushed the Warriors back to -110 and all the attention and action pouring in on L.A. actually had MyBookie dealing the Dubs at +200 – if only for a few fleeting moments. And then Boogie happened. DeMarcus Cousins stole a lot of LeBron’s thunder by joining the Warriors’ star-stacked lineup, and that sent Golden State skyrocketing to -175 odds to win its fourth title in the past five years.
Cousins is a bit of a question mark, coming off an Achilles injury last season and reportedly not receiving an offer from any NBA teams since free agency opened. A normal time table would not have him back on the court until after Christmas, but Cousins is insisting he’ll be ready for training camp. The Warriors definitely don’t need him in the lineup to be successful, so this one-year deal could really turn into a six-month rental which is more about keeping Cousins off an opponent’s roster than placing him on theirs.
Los Angeles Lakers (+500 - +750)
What a crazy 48 hours for Lakers fans. Los Angeles had its NBA title odds trimmed from 20/1 to as low as 3/1 before James even announced his decision. And once that news made the rounds, books dropped L.A. to +250 before money ran those futures all the way to the top of the board at some online shops, with the Lakers moving as far as +125 – making them the favorite to win the NBA Championship.
In addition to James, the Lakers picked up a collection of misfit players – all of which have a history battling LeBron: Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and JaVale McGee. Rumors swirled that Cousins was on his way to L.A. as well, and Leonard reportedly told the Spurs he only wants to be dealt to the Lakers. Andddddd… then Boogie happened.
All the air was sucked out Hollywood when Cousins joined the dreaded Warriors, and despite his health concerns, books lifted Golden State back up the board and LeBron & Co. dropped like a rock, as far down as +750 online. Las Vegas books, which always take a lot of action on L.A. regardless of the quality, are less aggressive with the futures, pegging the Lakers at 5/1 odds to pad that impending money.
Boston Celtics (+350 - +650)
With LeBron finally leaving the Eastern Conference, the Celtics appear to have a clear path to the Conference Finals. On paper, this team is almost as loaded as the Warriors. Gordon Hayward is expected back after missing last season due to a gruesome broken leg, along with Kyrie Irving who missed the end of the schedule with knee issues. That’s why we said “on paper”. The Celtics' top to stars are question marks to make it to the postseason.
There’s a good core of young guys in Boston, with Jalen Brown and Jayson Tatum emerging as budding standouts, and maybe – just maybe – Danny Ainge can work some magic and strike a deal for Leonard or even a disgruntled Jimmy Butler. Another big-name addition would absolutely put Boston on par with the Warriors - should that fragile roster survive the 82-game season.
Houston Rockets (+650 - +850)
Lost in the shuffle out West is Houston. You know, that team that finished first-overall and was one win away from knocking off the Warriors in the Western Conference finals. LeBron’s landing and Golden State’s addition of Cousins have the Rockets in the shadows.
Houston opened at +350 to win the NBA title in 2018-19, re-signed Chris Paul but lost Trevor Ariza, fell to +600 when James joined L.A., and moved to +650 after the Cousins news. This team could be the best value play on the board at these odds. James Harden is the reigning league MVP and the Rockets roster is much more capable than that of the Lakers – even with LeBron doing LeBron things.
Philadelphia 76ers (+1,200 - +1,400)
The Sixers had big plans for LeBron but it looks like Philadelphia will miss out on the marquee free agents or landing Leonard in a trade. They opened at +350 to win the NBA title – due solely to rumors that James was heading to Philly – but have now slide down the board to as large as +1,400.
Philadelphia is rich with potential, headlined by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, but could be a few years off from truly contending. However, with James gone to the West, the door is open to the NBA Finals. Right now, the 76ers are the second choice in the East – at +200 to win the conference crown – and have teams like Toronto, Milwaukee, Miami, and Indiana nipping at their young heels.
**video