The Suns pulled off the biggest trade of this NBA season, and one of the biggest of all-time, acquiring superstar Kevin Durant from the Nets yesterday in a signal they’re all-in for the NBA title two years after losing in the NBA Finals.
Vegas agrees.
The Suns NBA Championship odds exploded after the Durant news dropped around 1:15 A.M. ET last night, going from +1500 to win the title all the way down to +400 at DraftKings, second-best in the entire NBA.
The massive move in the odds is no surprise. The Suns add Durant, arguably the best offensive player in the NBA, to a roster featuring fellow stars Devin Booker, Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton. They lost depth by trading away Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder, but Durant’s addition to that roster makes them arguably the most top-heavy talented team in the NBA.
The Suns are currently fifth in the Western Conference playoff standings, but they’re only four games out of the second seed. Durant is still dealing with a knee injury that’s expected to keep him out through the All-Star break, but when he returns the Suns could quickly ascend the standings
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The Nets, having already traded away Kyrie Irving, are now in rebuild mode and their title odds reflect that. They’re now +8000 to win the title just a few days after having +2000 odds to win the title and after opening the season in the Top 4 in odds. It’s been a disastrous season for them and now they’ll start over with a bunch of picks.
For Suns fans, now’s the time to bet big on them to win it all. No team in the Western Conference is as talented as they are and, while Paul’s health is always a concern, they now have a team capable of dominating on both sides of the floor.
It might take some time for them all to mesh, but the Suns are now the favorite to win the West for a reason and I like their chances.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.