Pelicans 2020 NBA Championship Odds Worsen After Trading Davis

• The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans
• The Pelicans received Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and three first-round picks in return
• Following the trade, the Lakers are now the favorite to win the 2019-20 NBA Championship

The New Orleans Pelicans made headlines on Saturday when they traded away star Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. They received a sizeable haul in return and while it should help speed up their rebuild, their 2020 NBA Championship odds have dropped from +3700 to +5000. Are they a good bet at this point?

2020 NBA Championship Odds

*Odds taken 06/16/19. 

Pelicans Finally Ship Davis to Lakers

In what seemed to be a foregone conclusion, the Los Angeles Lakers finally acquired Davis from the Pelicans. In return, they sent Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and three first-round picks – including this year’s No. 4 overall selection.

The Pelicans were in a tight spot as Davis had requested a trade, but this is a quality package to receive in return for a star who is on his way out. He was entering his final season under contract and they wanted to make sure they didn’t lose him to free agency without getting some compensation.

Pelicans have Rebuilt their Starting Lineup

The Pelicans have the opportunity to turn things around quickly as they received two starters, a quality bench player and multiple picks. Of course, the main addition to their roster this offseason will be Zion Williamson, the expected first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They can also add another quality player at No. 4.

With Williamson in tow, the Pelicans starting lineup will (roughly) be: Ball, Jrue Holiday, Ingram, Williamson and Jahlil Okafor. On the bench, they’ll have Solomon Hill, E’Twaun Moore, Hart and possibly Julius Randle – if he decides to opt-in to his player option.

At this point, I wouldn’t bet on the Pelicans to do any damage next season. They have a lot of potential but that’s where it could end. We’ve seen Ingram play like an All-Star at times and other times he’s been just OK. The same goes with Ball. And with Williamson, this will be his first year in the NBA.

Could they be a reasonable bet to go over their regular season win total? Of course. Would I bet them to win the West? Absolutely not.

Value With The Rockets, Nuggets

Of course, everyone is hopping on the Lakers bandwagon right now and it makes sense. They’ve already got Davis and James, and will probably add either Kemba Walker or Jimmy Butler. If so, that team will be hard to stop. However, as of this moment, I see value with some other teams.

If the Lakers don’t get anyone else, I don’t think they’re the best team in the conference. The Houston Rockets would be a solid bet at +900 as they have been so close to winning the West over the last few seasons. General Manager Daryl Morey always has an ace up his sleeve, so don’t be surprised if he’s working on something.

As for the Nuggets, this is a team that is on the rise. They won 54 games last year and have a very young roster. They’ll add Michael Porter Jr. to the mix this year and along with internal growth and experience, they could ascend to the top spot in the conference. They aren’t getting much love at +2500.

For now, those would be the two teams I’d bet. If the Lakers get Walker, nobody is going to stop that trio – regardless of what kind of bench they get. At this point, though, I see value with the Rockets and Nuggets.