The NBA Trade Deadline was a frantic one as tons of big names were moved around. Kevin Durant is now with the Phoenix Suns; Kyrie Irving is now with the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers somehow managed to retool and give themselves a fighting chance this year.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s look at the teams who did the best at the deadline and see how their odds to win the championship have changed at BetAnySports.
Phoenix Suns Odds To Win Championship At BAS: +450
The Suns have been treading water throughout most of the season as injuries have sapped their potential. Star guard Devin Booker has been in and out of the lineup and the team is just 30-27 at this point. Had they stood pat, they likely wouldn’t have been good enough to win the NBA Championship. After acquiring Kevin Durant, they’re now the favorite in the West.
The Suns will now put Durant on the court with Booker, DeAndre Ayton, and Chris Paul. They did lose Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson – two players that combined to score 31.1 points per game – but Durant is one of the best players in the game. If him and Booker stay healthy, this team now has a legitimate chance to win it all.
Dallas Mavericks Odds To Win Championship At BAS: +1600
The Mavericks went from +2500 to +1600 on the strength of adding Kyrie Irving to their lineup. They really didn’t have to give up much as they moved Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith. While both are decent contributors, neither really moved the needle in terms of winning a championship for Dallas. Irving just might.
Of course, Irving is a bit of a challenge in the locker room and it’s unclear what the fit will be with Luka Doncic. However, with Irving, Doncic and Wood, the Mavs might have a bit of a big three to work with. There are concerns that Irving will leave in free agency in the offseason but that doesn’t impact their futures for this year. They were 29-26 before the arrival of Irving and likely not a serious championship contender. Now at least they are a step closer – possibly a big step.
Los Angeles Lakers Odds To Win Championship At BAS: +2800
The Lakers deserve some credit. They had quite the ugly roster before the trade deadline but somehow managed to build a team after it. While only giving up Russell Westbrook, an over-the-hill Patrick Beverly and a couple of picks, the team managed to add D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Mo Bamba. The latter two are projects that might or might not work out, but Hachimura and Beasley add some much-needed three-point shooting while Russell is more than a capable point guard. At the same time, it removes Westbrook and the headache he brings.
The Lakers are currently dead-last in the NBA in terms of threes per game at 10.5. They did lose Westbrook’s 1.2 per game but added about 7.0 between Russell, Beasley, Hachimura and Vanderbilt. Of course, it’s not a direct swap for threes but if the math worked out as easily as that, this team might go from averaging the fewest threes per game to among the most.
Nobody should sit here and tell you that the Lakers are now a championship contender. However, in a wide-open Western Conference, the Lakers can now compete. And with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, who knows how far they can go?
