Media Day across the NBA was held on Monday, so new faces in new places like Philadelphia’s Paul George, Sacramento’s DeMar DeRozan and New Orleans’ Dejounte Murray made their first appearances.
Karl-Anthony Towns was at Madison Square Garden but couldn’t talk to reporters, but by Tuesday, the trade that sent him to the New York Knicks from Minnesota in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a 2025 first-round pick that had belonged to the Pistons was complete.
It’s rare that you see a team that just reached the conference final deal one of the members of its core away, but with Rudy Gobert also under an enormous contract, in addition to Anthony Edwards emerging as the face of the franchise, trading Towns provides the Timberwolves with flexibility going forward.
Upon news of the trade, online sportsbooks moved forward with new championship futures and win totals for 2024-25.
Odds to win NBA champioship at BetMGM Sportsbook
Here are live NBA futures odds at BetMGM Sportsbook:
Celtics top NBA win totals and championship odds board
The defending champion Boston Celtics remain the team to beat in championship futures. Boston’s win total is set at an NBA-high 58.5, but some complacency has been baked into the number, given that last year’s group went a league-best 64-18.
The Oklahoma City Thunder boast the second-shortest odds to win the title, ahead of the Knicks and 76ers. It’s apparently old news that Philadelphia has added George, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson.
The Nuggets, Timberwolves and defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks are next on the odds board.
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Knicks, Sixers loom in Atlantic Division
The Knicks won 50 games last season, but after the team added Towns to a nucleus that includes Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, sportsbooks are dealing New York's win total at 54.5.
Trading DiVincenzo turns the Villanova foursome into a trio, and there will certainly be an adjustment period of meshing guys with Towns and Bridges on board, but the fact Tom Thibodeau has coached his new power forward before and demands his group defend night in and night out bodes well. It doesn’t hurt that Thibodeau plays starters longer than most coaches.
Nick Nurse has his own meshing to do and also is known for giving his starters major minutes, so there could indeed be value in riding the high side on 52.5 wins after last season’s group went 47-35 despite Joel Embiid missing 43 regular-season games. The 2022-23 MVP turned 30 in March but reported in great shape, having lost 25-30 pounds.
Bucks, Cavs battle in Central
The Milwaukee Bucks are projected to win the Central Division (-120 odds) and have the East’s fourth-highest projected win total at 50.5. The Bucks went 49-33 last season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard each played 73 of 82 games and didn’t mesh as well as the team hoped, they fired Adrian Griffin and hired Doc Rivers more than halfway through the season, and All-Star shooting guard Khris Middleton played only 55 games. Having added Gary Trent, Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright, Milwaukee could also be significantly improved.
The Cavaliers (48.5), Magic (47.5), Pacers (46.5) and Heat (44.5) complete the East’s projected top-eight. Cleveland fired J.B. Bickerstaff, now in Detroit, replacing him with Kenny Atkinson while holding on to star guard Donovan Mitchell.
Thunder boast highest win total in Western Conference
OKC has the highest win total (56.5) in the West after finishing with the top mark in the conference last season (57-25). The Thunder added key glue guys in center Isaiah Hartenstein and guard Alex Caruso and look to take another step forward with young stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren continuing to improve.
The Timberwolves’ win total is set at 52.5 after a 56-26 season, but if Randle can get acclimated quickly and Edwards continues his meteoric rise, they don’t have to take a step backward without Towns. DiVincenzo immediately becomes the team’s best shooter.
Denver (51.5) lost a starting guard with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope heading south to join the Magic, but Russell Westbrook signed to help key the second unit, and Dario Saric also came on board. The Nikola Jokic-Aaron Gordon-Michael Porter, Jr. frontcourt remains one of the league’s best, and the hope is that Christian Braun, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson can collectively replace Caldwell-Pope.
The Mavericks (49.5), Grizzlies (47.5), Suns (46.5), Kings (46.5) and Pelicans (46.5) round out the West’s projected top-eight, with the Warriors (44.5), Lakers (43.5) and Rockets (43.5) expected to be in the mix in a wide open, loaded West.
Brooklyn (19.5), Washington (20.5) and Portland (22.5) are expected to vie for the NBA’s worst record.
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