The Brooklyn Nets have been the NBA championship favorites all season long, but they are barely hanging on to that title after Thursday’s blockbuster trade.
The Nets dealt superstar shooting guard James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers before the trade deadline, getting back Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and draft picks.
Brooklyn’s championship odds went from +350 to +400 after news of the trade became public. The 76ers, meanwhile, saw their odds of a title increase dramatically. BetMGM had them at +1200 before the trade, and now Philadelphia is listed at +675.
Nets Championship odds odds before the James Harden trade: +350
Nets Championship odds after the James Harden trade: +425
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) February 10, 2022
The Nets are still the favorites, but the Golden State Warriors are right on their heels at +450 odds. The Phoenix Suns, who have the best record in the NBA at 44-10, have the third-best odds at +500.
The 76ers slot in behind the Bucks, the defending champions, who have championship odds listed at +650.
The Nets have been listed as the NBA championship favorites all year because of the presence of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, Irving has missed a significant portion of the season after choosing to not get vaccinated for COVID-19.
The Nets have also dealt with injuries to their Big Three, as Durant is currently sidelined with a sprained knee. The Nets are just 29-25 on the season and sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
A look at the updated NBA Championship odds 🏆 pic.twitter.com/tTSRnsWJlD
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) February 10, 2022
Simmons is an All-Star-level player but has not been with Philadelphia all year because he no longer wanted to play for the team. It will be interesting to see what kind of shape he is in and how quickly he can contribute to the Nets.
Harden will now team with Joel Embiid as a 1-2 punch capable of leading the team to a championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers had the best odds to win the Western Conference when the season began but they have fallen off the pace considerably as the roster struggles to find cohesion. The Lakers’ NBA title odds are currently listed at +1800, which is behind the aforementioned contenders, as well as the Heat (+1100) and Jazz (+1400).
