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Updated 2021 NBA Championship Odds for All 30 Teams Post Draft

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 3, 2021 · 12:54 PM PST

Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis and the Lakers head to LeBron's old stomping grounds on Monday night (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)
  • Los Angeles Lakers still betting favorite to win championship following the NBA Draft
  • Golden State add Wiseman, but may have lost Klay Thompson to injury on same day
  • Read below to our NBA Championship prediction 

The 2020 NBA Draft has come and gone, with teams taking their best fliers on the players who are among the best commodities in the league. They’re young, inexpensive and, if they happen to be really good ball players, could help in the arms race in the NBA Championship odds.

No matter what any team did Wednesday night however, it didn’t change the dynamic up top, where it’s LeBron and the Lakers’ world, until someone up and takes it from them.

2021 NBA Championship Odds

Team Odds
Los Angeles Lakers +300
Milwaukee Bucks +550
Brooklyn Nets +600
Los Angeles Clippers +600
Golden State Warriors +650
Boston Celtics +1200
Miami Heat +1400
Toronto Raptors +2000
Dallas Mavericks +2500
Philadelphia 76ers +2500
Denver Nuggets +2500
Houston Rockets +3500
Utah Jazz +4000
Phoenix Suns +5000
Portland Trail Blazers +5000
New Orleans Pelicans +5000
Indiana Pacers +10000
Atlanta Hawks +15000
Oklahoma City Thunder +15000
Orlando Magic +15000
Chicago Bulls +20000
Memphis Grizzlies +20000
Washington Wizards +20000
Sacramento Kings +25000
San Antonio Spurs +25000
Charlotte Hornets +50000
Cleveland Cavaliers +50000
Detroit Pistons +50000
Minnesota Timberwolves +50000
New York Knicks +50000

Odds taken from BetMGM on November 18th

Los Angeles’ title odds actually shortened from +350 to +300, while the biggest move among the contenders also happened in the state of California.

Warriors Get Wiseman But Lose Klay?

On the same day Golden State chose 7-foot stud James Wiseman, the day was not an all-around hit, as reports surfaced just prior to draft time that all-star guard Klay Thompson had suffered a lower right leg injury in a pickup game.

The Warriors released a statement saying they were aware, but it was too early to tell the severity of the injury. Tests are coming in the next few days, and that could likely derail a comeback year for the entire franchise.

Thompson missed all of last year recovering from a torn ACL, while Steph Curry broke his hand early in the season, logging just five games.

There was much speculation about what GState might do with the pick to beef up their roster to go ring chasing, but Thompson’s injury did likely sour those plans, as Andrew Wiggins, who many believed was the trade tax to get the second pick, will probably be more needed than he’s ever been.

Still the Warriors’ odds improved to +650, likely due to just the Wiseman pick. I’m still shocked he was entrenched in second pick, with little to no fanfare about him going first overall.

He is everything in the prototype of the modern big man. He’s athletic, can get up and down the floor, and is expected to have the shooting range out to the three-point line.

The 7-footer is also set up to be the anchor of the defense, with his ability to block shots and jumpstart some deadly fast break ops.

Denver Nails Draft Again

The Nuggets are the current masters of snatching top-end talent in positions of major value. They snagged Michael Porter Jr outside the top-10, and he’s on the path to potential all-stardom. Bol Bol was a flier in last year’s second round that could pan out.

This year, RJ Hampton fell to them at 24, when most believed his talent was within the lottery realm. Hampton spent last year in a New Zealand pro league and struggled, though scouts still believed in his talents. He’s a 6-foot-5 playmaking point that bypassed college hoops. He was once touted as one of the best high school hoopers on the planet.

If he finds his footing, Denver will add another weapon to a roster that features star power in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. They’re on the fringe of the top 10 title odds, and could be moving fast. Taking a flier on a team at +2500 that made the final four last year? You could do much worse.

Contenders Dealing on Draft Day

One of the biggest concerns facing the Dallas Mavericks was the lack of toughness on their roster, leaving Luka Doncic to fend for himself while also being one of the best basketball players on the planet.

Dallas took steps to fix that Wednesday, shipping out Seth Curry to Philly for Josh Richardson, a hard-nosed, two-way player that should slide into the rotation and give Rick Carlisle another plus option to play alongside Luka.

Philly was also busy prior to draft, sending Al Horford to the Thunder along with a pair of first round picks for Danny Green and Terence Feruson. Daryl Morey-led teams need to shoot, and adding Curry and Green makes real sense.

Meanwhile, Sam Presti and OKC continue to fill the cupboards with assets – they used one of their 18 first round picks available till 2027 today.

Finally, Brooklyn found another reliable piece to wrap around its current core, completing a three-way deal with the Clippers and Pistons that landed them the current best player in the deal in guard Landry Shamet. A regular on the Clips last year, he has plenty of practice finding his way among star-studded teammates.

Lakers Still Sitting Pretty

There’s a reason the Lakers saw their odds shorten: teams made moves all around them, but none could put together the kind of roster that has anyone believing LA is losing four out of seven to an opponent next year (barring injury, of course).

The LeBron-AD pairing is the best in hoops, and the Lakers already reloaded adding Dennis Schroder to the mix, a borderline all-star and Sixth Man of the Year candidate with the Thunder. He projects to be the third best player on the roster. And it doesn’t appear they are done roster shaping.

There’s still plenty of time in this NBA silly season, and stars moving remain a real possibility. But after this draft, no moves or picks put any real pressure on the Lakers. And the potential loss of Thompson for GState may have just weakened their toughest West test. They’re still easily the best bet.

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