Lakers Remain +275 Championship Favorite in West; Clippers +350 After Acquiring Marcus Morris at Trade Deadline
- The Los Angeles Lakers opted not to make a move before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline
- The Los Angeles Clippers obtained Marcus Morris from the New York Knicks
- LAL remains the favorite to win the NBA Championship, although their odds jumped from +250 to +275
The Los Angeles Lakers lost Thursday’s battle to the Los Angeles Clippers. Regardless, oddsmakers have faith that the Lakers will win the war.
Both the Lakers and Clippers set out in pursuit of New York Knicks small forward Marcus Morris as the clocked ticked down to Thursday’s 3 pm EST NBA trade deadline.
The Clippers were the ones who ended up obtaining Morris as part of a three-team deal also involving the Washington Wizards. However, this move didn’t cause much of a ripple in the 2019-20 NBA Championship odds.
The sportsbook stayed with the Lakers as the chalk. However, their odds increased from +250 to +275.
The Clippers are still the third betting choice. Their line improved from +400 to +350 in the NBA Championship odds.
2019-20 NBA Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | +275 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +300 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +350 |
| Houston Rockets | +1400 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1400 |
| Miami Heat | +1600 |
| Utah Jazz | +1600 |
| Boston Celtics | +2000 |
| Denver Nuggets | +2000 |
| Toronto Raptors | +2000 |
Odds taken Feb. 6th
There hasn’t been an NBA title celebrated by the Lakers since 2010. The Clippers have never played in the NBA Finals.
Clippers Win Morris Race
The Clippers certainly won NBA trade deadline day.
They set out in search of help at wing, and Morris fills that role to perfection. He can rebound. Morris can score from beyond the arc. He’ll defend with tenacity.
With the Knicks this season, Morris is enjoying a career-high average in points per game (19.6). He’s also shooting a career-best 43.9% from three-point range.
The Clippers will not be keeping Isaiah Thomas, acquired today from Washington in three-team deal with Knicks that brought Marcus Morris to LA and send Moe Harkless/picks to NYC, per league source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 6, 2020
Morris will slide into the spot filled by Moe Harkless, who went to the Knicks in the deal. Jerome Robinson, swapped to Washington, was averaging just 11.3 minutes per game for the Clippers.
Guard Isaiah Thomas, who was also part of the package gained in the trade, won’t be retained by the Clippers.
Lakers Wouldn’t Part With Kuzma
The Lakers were also doggedly in pursuit of Morris in order to boost their fortunes. Reportedly, they declined the part with the player the Knicks wanted to make it happen, young forward Kyle Kuzma.
They believe that Kuzma hasn’t come near to reaching his full potential and could blossom into an NBA star. This season, he’s averaging 13.1 points. Kuzma is shooting 43.7% overall and 33.7% from 3-point range.
Checking on Lakers fans at the trade deadline: pic.twitter.com/vDtqKdk8X0
— SportsNation (@SportsNation) February 6, 2020
The Lakers will be left to pick up scraps from the NBA buyout heap but even that could prove challenging. They didn’t clear any salary out Wednesday. The Lakers are sitting with a touch over $12 million in available luxury tax space.
On a Collison Collision Course?
The next showdown between these two teams could be over the services of point guard Darren Collison.
A free agent last summer, Collison, 32, opted to announce his retirement after 10 NBA seasons. But now he’s ready to make a comeback, and both LA NBA teams are interested.
Plot thickens with Darren Collison. Clippers still in the mix with Isaiah Thomas not expected to be retained. Lakers haven't done anything to free up a spot. Adding Collison and Marcus Morris would be an impressive haul for Clips.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 6, 2020
When they acquired Thomas, it appeared that Collison was off the table as far as the Clippers were concerned.
Once they jettison Thomas, the Clippers will be left with two open roster spots, and would very much like Collison to fill one of them. The Lakers are equally anxious to add Collison to their rotation.
There are published reports that the Lakers are Collison’s destination of choice.
Lakers expected to hold a “post-trade deadline” audition for JR SMITH 👀 @TheRealJRSmith (via @TheSteinLine) pic.twitter.com/CMjDyXqil1
— Overtime (@overtime) February 6, 2020
Collison shows a career average of 12.5 points per game. In 2017-18 with the Indiana Pacers, he posted a league-leading 3-point field goal percentage of .468.
He’s expected to determine his future destination shortly after the NBA All-Star break.
It’s a Two Team Race
No other Western Conference has proven to be in the same league this season with either of the LA clubs, and not one of them did anything on Wednesday to change that perspective.
Nine trades went down on NBA trade deadline day. Here are some of the biggest:
• D-Lo to Minnesota
• Iguodala to Miami
• Drummond to Cleveland
• Marcus Morris to the Clippers pic.twitter.com/FKrGDJwZBk— ESPN (@espn) February 6, 2020
The Houston Rockets (+1400), Utah Jazz (+1600) and Denver Nuggets (+2000) are all far away on the odds board.
In real time, that length of distance also applies.
Clippers the Team to Beat?
The odds and the Western Conference standings still favor the Lakers. They’re first in the Western Conference standings at 38-11, followed closely by the 36-15 Clippers.
However, after Wednesday’s moves, the Clippers look to be the LA team in the driver’s seat for the NBA title.
A starting five of Kawhi Leonard, Morris, Paul George, JaMychal Green and Patrick Beverley will be tough to beat both offensively and defensively. It’s going to be playing with fire to double team any of those five players.
Lou Williams (19.4 PPG) and Montrezl Harrell (19 PPG) are 1-3 in the NBA in bench scoring.
The Clippers can now play five-out with a lineup of JaMychal Green, Marcus Morris, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley/Lou Williams/Landry Shamet at lead guard. Can also slide Morris to the 5 in certain matchups and play two of those three guards together.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 6, 2020
That’s the best top-to-bottom rotation in the league. And then factor in the playoff history of two-time NBA Finals MVP Leonard.
The Lakers possess the deeper star power with their 1-2 punch of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But as the Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors playoff series of recent years displayed, the team with the greater depth and deeper bench is the one that ultimately wins out.
Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (+350).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
