What to Expect from Boogie and LeBron in New Homes

• DeMarcus Cousins and LeBron James have been the toast of free agency, but how will they fare with their new teams?
• Will Kawhi Leonard sit out the season rather than play with San Antonio?
• Will the Timberwolves trade their young talent to appease Jimmy Butler?

The Golden State Warriors broke Twitter on Monday evening when they agreed to terms with free agent center DeMarcus Cousins on a one year, $5.3 million deal. Within minutes, the social media platform was inundated with thousands of tweets from basketballs fans who had just had their minds blown.

Their responses ranged from mild incredulity to outright shock as they tried to process the idea of the Warriors starting five bona fide All-Stars.

We really now live in a world where DeMarcus Cousins makes less to play basketball than Doug McDermott.

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) July 3, 2018

Warriors agree to sign 4x All-Star Boogie Cousins, to play beside:
2x MVP, 5x All-Star Steph Curry
MVP, 9x All-Star Kevin Durant
4x All-Star Klay Thompson
3x All-Star Draymond Green

LeBron checking to see if he can go back to the East ?

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 3, 2018

Even fellow players were caught off guard. Knicks center Enes Kanter won the night with his particularly brilliant tweet about Golden State’s inevitable follow-up move.

Adam Silver has agreed to a Mid Level Extension with the Golden State, league sources tell ME. ?? pic.twitter.com/G9uAcVcg6w

— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) July 3, 2018

The news also got bookmakers talking. Golden State’s odds to win the 2019 NBA Championship dropped to -175 immediately after the deal was announced.

2019 NBA Title Odds

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Boogie’s deal was the way it instantly turned LeBron James’ free agency decision into a mere footnote.

We’ve sifted through all of the tweets and hot takes surrounding Boogie and LeBron and have created new odds for the year ahead. We have fresh props for what the Lakers will do next, how Cousins will fare in Oakland, and whether anyone in the East will ever matter again.

Los Angeles Lakers Props

Odds players will be dealt before the beginning of the 2018-19 season

The Lakers aren’t the only ones who envision Brandon Ingram as being part of their long-term plans. The Spurs also covet the long-limbed forward and have repeatedly asked for Ingram in exchange for disgruntled forward Kawhi Leonard. It would be steep price for the Lakers to pay, and it seems far more likely that they’ll keep their young core together and add Leonard a year from now when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Odds LeBron James and LaVar Ball have words: 9/1

If there’s anyone capable of shutting up LaVar Ball, it’s LeBron James. The four-time MVP put the fear of God in the BBB president last March when he issued a sternly-worded warning not to speak publicly about his children.

LeBron, Lance, Rondo, Javle McGee, Lonzo and LaVar. Can we get an NBA Hard Knocks please?

— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) July 2, 2018

Expect plenty of subtweets, but very little legitimate drama. LeBron is too mature – and too conscious of his legacy – to lower himself to LaVar’s level.

Odds Kawhi Leonard is a Laker before the 2018-19 season tips off: 5/2

Just because Leonard wants to be a Laker doesn’t mean he’ll get his wish. The Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, and Clippers have all engaged in preliminary negotiations with the Spurs and more teams are likely to join the fray as the season approaches.

San Antonio would prefer to deal Leonard to the Eastern Conference and have already rebuffed the Lakers at least once.

San Antonio has been remarkably tight-lipped thus far, but we know from well-placed sources that they would prefer to deal Leonard to the Eastern Conference and have already rebuffed the Lakers at least once.

Stephen A Smith just reported league executives are telling him don’t be shocked if Kawhi Leonard sits out NEXT season as well to get to LA – wowowowow.

— Michele Steele (@ESPNMichele) July 2, 2018

There’s also the chance – however remote – that Leonard simply sits out the entire season rather than suit up for the Spurs. At this point, it’s in the Lakers’ best interest to fill out their roster and hope that Leonard joins them refreshed and reinvigorated a year from now.

Odds LeBron James win an MVP as a Laker: 15/1

Only three players have won NBA MVP honors after turning 33, and none of them had logged as many minutes or had played as many seasons as LeBron at that point in their careers. James certainly has the stamina and ability to capture the award again, but the odds are stacked against him.

LeBron James 2018-19 Statistical Over/Unders

LeBron will still be expected to do all of the heavy lifting in Los Angeles just as he did last season in Cleveland, but don’t be surprised if his assist totals drop for the first time in four years as he shares playmaking duties with Ball. The 20-year-old floor general averaged 7.2 dimes per game in 2017-18 and will be responsible for directing the Lakers’ full court attack when he’s on the court.

You can wager on LeBron’s statistical production right now at online sportsbooks.

LeBron James 2018-19 Season Scoring Average

LeBron James 2018-19 Season Rebounding Average

Golden State Warriors Props

DeMarcus Cousins 2018-19 Statistical Over/Unders

We hate to rain on the Warriors’ championship parade, but their new center is just five months removed from suffering the most devastating injury in professional basketball.

NBA players with Achilles tears have historically struggled to regain their mobility and athleticism and have provided little value in their first season back. That’s especially true for big men, who have to drag around larger frames and undergo far more pounding in the post.

It’s possible Cousins could be an exception, but don’t expect him to regain his All-Star form right away. The 6’11” pivot isn’t expected back until December at the earliest and will likely be on a heavy minutes restriction for much of the season. A limited Boogie is still better than no Boogie at all, but Warriors fans shouldn’t expect him to be the same dominating presence they saw in Sacramento and New Orleans.

Odds DeMarcus Cousins re-signs with Golden State: 20/1

Make no mistake about it; Demarcus Cousins is with the Warriors for a good time, not a long time. The four-time All-Star will stay with the franchise just long enough to win a championship and prove that he’s healthy enough to merit a max contract. Even if Golden State falls in love with him, they’ll be unable to shell out that kind of money while also keeping their championship core intact.

Odds on who will have more technical fouls in 2018-19

In most years, this would come down to a photo finish, but Draymond Green has a sizeable advantage in 2018-19 since Cousins is likely to miss the first three months of the season. That should give Green more than enough time to pick up his customary 15 techs for bumping referees, swearing at fans, and treating opponents’ crotches like pinatas.

NBA community watching LeBron cruise to the Finals once DeMarcus Cousins and Draymond Green cant play due to excessive technical fouls pic.twitter.com/yADrmqjHM9

— LakeShowYo™ (@LakeShowYo) July 3, 2018

Over/Under number of games the Warriors lose in the 2019 NBA Playoffs: 2.5

Golden State has won over 84% of its playoff games over the past two seasons, and that was with Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee manning the middle. Just imagine how dominant they’ll be with a bona fide All-Star like Cousins crashing the glass on defense and setting up teammates and nailing threes on offense.

We were tempted to go with 1.5 losses, but there’s always the possibility that multiple players could get injured, or that Cousins never fully recovers from the Achilles tear that allowed him to drop to the Warriors in the first place.

Miscellaneous NBA Props

Odds Kevin Love will be traded: 4/1

The Cavaliers have insisted they won’t trade Kevin Love, and they appear to be sticking to their guns. The East is weaker than ever, and Cleveland knows it has a solid shot of advancing deep into the playoffs even without their all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

do Kevin Love the courtesy of trading him. Dude kept his mouth shut for 4 years. Took a beating from the media every year. Trade that man and let him compete somewhere.

— Ricky Salcer (@RSALCER11) July 2, 2018

Odds Jimmy Butler will be dealt: 9/2

Lost amidst the Boogie and Bron brouhaha is the fact that Jimmy Butler is reportedly unhappy with his teammates, and has no intention of signing a long term extension with the Timberwolves. The four-time All-Star could fetch a decent return, but don’t count on Minnesota unloading him anytime soon. Butler was the key to their first playoff appearance in 14 seasons and they’ll move Heaven and Earth (and possibly Karl-Anthony Towns) to keep him in the Twin Cities.

JUST IN: Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving are still trying to find a place to play together, and the perfect location just might be in Boston. https://t.co/q8DreJFiSB

— Sun-Times Sports (@suntimes_sports) July 3, 2018

Over/Under number of 55+ win teams in the Western Conference: 3.5

The Warriors and Rockets are virtual locks to win 55 games in 2018-19, and could be joined by the Lakers and Pelicans.

The Pelicans wisely added to their nucleus with bruising big man Julius Randle and athletic point guard Elfrid Payton.

New Orleans showed tremendous promise in sweeping the Blazers and pushing the Warriors in the playoffs, and wisely added to their nucleus with bruising big man Julius Randle and athletic point guard Elfrid Payton. Both players should help them to push the pace that allowed the Pelicans to run circles around opponents during the second half of the season.

Over/Under number of 55+ win teams in the Eastern Conference: 2.5

Expect the “Leastern” Conference to live down to its name in 2017-18 as the Celtics, Sixers, and Raptors beat up on a dismal selection closely-packed bottom dwellers.