Celtics Championship Odds Move to +450 Amidst Heavy Kevin Durant Trade Rumors
By David Esser in NBA Basketball
Published:
- Rumors of Kevin Durant being traded to the Boston Celtics popped up Monday morning (July 25)
- The Celtics championship odds improved to +450
- Below, find out how the Celtics could pull off a blockbuster deal for Durant
Since the moment he made his formal trade request out of Brooklyn, Kevin Durant has been the talk of the NBA offseason. The 2x NBA champion and former NBA MVP instantly makes any team he joins a serious title contender, logic that is backed by the rapidly improving Boston Celtics championship odds.
As of Monday morning July 25, the Celtics were named as the newest team to jump into the Durant sweepstakes. Unlike some of the other NBA teams looking to acquire the lethal scorer, Boston actually has enough trade ammunition to get a deal done.
2022-23 NBA Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +450 |
| Golden State Warriors | +600 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +700 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +750 |
| Phoenix Suns | +850 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1100 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +1400 |
| Miami Heat | +1400 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1600 |
| Denver Nuggets | +2000 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +2200 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +2200 |
| Toronto Raptors | +3000 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +4000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +4500 |
| Chicago Bulls | +5000 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +5000 |
| New York Knicks | +7500 |
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of July 25. Claim this Caesars Sportsbook promo code before betting.
Celtics Championship Odds Shift From +550 to +450
The Celtics have been viewed as the betting favorite to win the 2022-23 NBA Finals for quite some time now. They obviously reached the Finals last year and made a big splash early in the offseason by acquiring guard Malcolm Brogdon.
A playoff rotation of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Al Horford is arguably the best in the NBA.
However, the unexpected Durant-to-Boston trade rumors caused the Celtics championship odds to spike up. Just three days ago on July 22, the Celtics championship odds were at +550. As of July 25, they’ve improved to +450.
A minor change in the grand scheme of things. However, a change, nevertheless. Clearly, the NBA betting world thinks there’s some truth to the new Durant rumors.
The Nets and Celtics entered trade discussions for Kevin Durant, per @ShamsCharania
Boston reportedly offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick for Durant, but the Nets also wanted Marcus Smart, more draft picks and potentially one more rotation player pic.twitter.com/qTvOQezcx3
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 25, 2022
The Celtics Have the Ammo to Get a Kevin Durant Trade Done
Every team in the NBA would like to have a player of Durant’s caliber on their roster. He’s one of the best scorers in league history and currently +850 in NBA MVP odds.
However, the issue for most teams is they simply don’t have enough in terms of young talent and/or draft capital to get the Nets to agree to a trade. The Celtics, on the other hand, don’t have such an issue.
Between Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Marcus Smart, and future first-round picks, the Celtics front office can build an extremely attractive trade package for Durant. If the Nets are serious about moving the superstar forward this offseason, it’s hard to imagine them getting a better offer than what the Celtics can do.
Expect the Celtics Championship Odds to Shift Again
At +450, the Celtics are the clear favorites to win the 2022-23 NBA Finals. However, expect this number to be extremely fluid over the next few weeks.
If the Celtics actually land Durant, their odds will shorten even more. If trade talks with Brooklyn fizzle out, the Nets could see their odds shift back to +550, where they’ve been for most of the offseason.
No matter what happens, the Celtics engaging in trade talks for Durant is certainly noteworthy. A Tatum-Durant duo might be the best scoring partnership in the NBA.
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Sports Betting Writer
An online sportswriter since 2019, David has spent time covering all four major Philadelphia sports teams for Philly Sports Network and FanSided. He spent time as an NFL/MLB Staff Writer for EndGame360’s Sportscasting page and has appeared on several popular podcasts.
