There has been unrelenting chatter the past few weeks about DeAndre Hopkins getting traded.
It turned from rumor to substance when The Score’s Jordan Schultz reported that the Cardinals will be looking to deal Hopkins this offseason, followed up by an apparent goodbye message from the star receiver on his Instagram.
DraftKings certainly buys the idea that Hopkins is moving on. The sportsbook has unveiled odds on where Hopkins will be playing in 2023, and the Cardinals are an extreme longshot at +5000 odds.
That means a $1 bet on Hopkins returning to the Cardinals would net a $50 profit if it happens.
Hopkins has two seasons remaining on his contract but no more guaranteed money on the deal. Arizona would take on a $22.6 million dead money hit, but the perception is that it won’t be an obstacle in finding Hopkins a trade partner.
The Green Bay Packers are listed as the favorites to land Hopkins in a trade this offseason, followed by the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants.
Here is a look at the 10 teams with the best odds to trade for DeAndre Hopkins, via DraftKings on January 14:
- Packers +330
- Patriots +450
- Chiefs +500
- Giants +750
- Cowboys +1000
- 49ers +1500
- Chargers +1500
- Jaguars +1500
- Browns +1500
- Bears +1600
Among those options, Chicago is an extremely enticing wager. The Bears are flush with cap space, and if they trade down from the No. 1 overall pick, they will have plenty of draft capital to trade for Hopkins.
Provided the Bears hang on to quarterback Justin Fields, they will be going all-in this offseason, and the addition of a marquee wide receiver like Hopkins makes a bunch of sense.
It’s a surprise to see Chicago below some of the other teams on this list.
A return to Arizona is also worthy of a bet. Even though a divorce looks likely, there has been no official confirmation from the Cardinals that they will be trading him this offseason, unlike the more concrete plan with Derek Carr leaving the Raiders.
Arizona is currently searching for a new general manager, and that hire could have strong thoughts about keeping Hopkins, which could change the calculus. Hopkins also has a no-trade clause, so even if a deal gets agreed to, he can scuttle it if the destination is not enticing.
From what I’ve been told, there are plenty of reasons on both sides for this collaboration to end, so a trade of Hopkins definitely seems likely. But 50/1 odds makes it almost risk-free to wager on a return to the Cardinals.
Here are the rest of the odds for Hopkins’ team in 2023:
- Buccaneers +1800
- Eagles +1800
- Ravens +1800
- Raiders +2500
- Rams +2500
- Titans +3000
- Saints +3000
- Vikings +4000
- Bills +4000
- Jets +4000
- Bengals +4000
- Seahawks +5000
- Colts +5000
- Dolphins +5000
- Cardinals +5000
- Broncos +6000
- Lions +6500
- Falcons +7000
- Steelers +7500
- Panthers +7500
- Commanders +7500
- Texans +10000
