NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 22: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during a game against the Denver Nuggets on March 22, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have become true believers in the 2020 New York Knicks, making them one of the favorites to win it all next season.
The New York Knicks look exactly the same today as they did when they ended a dreadful 2018-19 season, but if the offseason goes their way, Vegas oddsmakers really like their chances to compete in 2019-2020.
According to SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas, the oddsmakers opened next season’s betting odds with the Knicks at 16-1 to win it all in 2020. That’s a lot of faith in a squad that has been pretty inept for the past few seasons, and those odds would make one think that the oddsmakers need serious help.
Now, to be fair to SuperBook, they did peg the Milwaukee Bucks as the team with the best odds at winning it all next season, mainly because their roster will stay mostly intact. However, when looking at it on the surface, it’s crazy to think that the Knicks would have the fourth (yes, fourth!) best odds at making it out of the East next season.
This is the part where we tell you to not look at the surface of the current Knicks roster and look deep into the team’s front office, where one free agent prize could validate the unabashed love Vegas is showing them — Kevin Durant.
Love him or hate him, he’s one of the top five players in the world, and although he’s had a ton of success with the Golden State Warriors, it has long been thought that Durant will test the free agency waters this offseason.
The Knicks are frontrunners thanks to their huge cap space and even larger media market, and if the Knicks can snag Durant and Kyrie Irving, another player in New York’s plans, it won’t be too hard to believe that the Knicks could be favorites in 2019-20.