Boston Celtics Are NBA Title Favorites Amid Kevin Durant Rumors
For all that has changed around the NBA since Kevin Durant asked out of Brooklyn one month ago, there has been no real movement on the trade front.
Initial reports tied Durant to the Heat and Suns, whose title odds shortened accordingly, and the Raptors are also viewed as a potential trade partner if the price is right. The Celtics joined those teams as a potential Durant suitor, according to multiple reports, and have separated themselves as title favorites at SI Sportsbook.
Boston lost the 2022 NBA Finals to the Warriors, Durant’s former team, in six games in June. That run to the Finals followed a sweep of Durant’s Nets in the first round.
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The Celtics were already among the top 2023 title contenders after their Finals loss. They were tied with the Clippers for the second-best odds at +600 behind only the Warriors (+500) one month ago. Boston is now a +550 favorite to win its first title since 2008 with the prospect of Durant joining Jayson Tatum in Beantown.
The Warriors and Suns are close behind at +600 odds and the Bucks and Clippers round out the top five at +700 odds.
Of course, general manager Brad Stevens would have to give up plenty of picks as well as part of the core that brought this young team to the Finals in order to acquire 33-year-old Durant. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Boston offered a package of All-Star forward Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a pick. Brooklyn rejected that offer and asked for any deal to include Brown, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, multiple picks and potentially one more rotation player.
Brown tweeted his displeasure Monday morning in response to the reports.
The Timberwolves set the asking price for a star astronomically high earlier this summer when they sent Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt and four first-round picks to Utah in exchange for Rudy Gobert.
The Celtics already made marginal moves in the offseason to bolster a roster that is already among the league’s best. Boston sent a first-round pick to Indiana to acquire guard Malcolm Brogdon and signed veteran shooter Danilo Gallinari.
Why the Celtics are the Favorites to Land KD
Boston is the favorite at some sportsbooks to be Durant’s next home if he does not remain in Brooklyn. For what it’s worth, the Nets’ title odds are +2500, 12th-best in the NBA and fifth-best in the East. That’s after they entered 2021-22 campaign as the favorites to win it all only to end up in the play-in tournament.
Brooklyn made some moves to improve the current roster makeup around Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, trading a first-round pick to Utah for Royce O’Neal, signing T.J. Warren and re-signing both Nic Claxton and Kessler Edwards.
There’s no telling if or when Durant is traded—Brooklyn is clearly in no rush to move him—but expect an even more drastic odds shift if he changes teams this offseason.
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