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Nets Now Tied for Third-Best Championship Odds, Celtics Remain Betting Favorite
Monday, Nets' general manager Sean Marks, head coach Steve Nash, and franchise owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai met with Kevin Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The result was the four-time scoring champion dropping his trade request.
As a result, the drama surrounding Durant and Kyrie Irving potentially splitting up and the two stars leaving Brooklyn ends with them returning to the Nets. That makes Brooklyn one of the top threats to the Celtics' championship aspirations.
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After not playing last season, Ben Simmons will suit up alongside Durant and Irving. As long he's healthy, he should remain one of the top defensive players in the league. He's also outstanding when operating as a floor general in the open court. And the Nets can overcome his offensive limitations easier than the Sixers, led by a center who prefers to do his damage from the mid to low post, could.
Brooklyn also added T.J. Warren and will welcome back Joe Harris, who played in just 14 games last season due to injury.
Taking into account the Nets' offseason maneuvering and neither Durant nor Irving changing teams, FanDuel Sportsbook has given them the third-best odds of capturing the Larry O'Brien Trophy, listing them at +700. The Warriors and Clippers have the same odds.
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Even with Durant and Irving running it back in Brooklyn, FanDuel Sportsbook still considers the Celtics the betting favorite to win the championship this season.
Boston is coming off a campaign where it engineered one of the most impressive in-season turnarounds in NBA history, going from 11th in the East in January to finishing two wins short of raising banner 18 to the rafters at TD Garden.
The Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari this offseason, and they did so without subtracting any of the mainstays from their playoff rotation.
Furthermore, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have led Boston to at least the Eastern Conference Finals in three of their five years together before reaching their primes.
Tatum earned All-NBA First Team honors last season. Brown, a former All-Star who turns 26 in October, has improved every summer and was the Celtics' second-leading scorer and rebounder in the playoffs, averaging 23.1 points and 6.9 boards per game. He also led Boston in scoring in the NBA Finals, generating 23.5 points per contest.
Along with the Celtics upgrading their rotation and the projection that Tatum and Brown take the next leap forward in their careers, add in the benefits of Ime Udoka entering his second season at the helm, working with a group where the majority are familiar with him and each other. It makes it easy to understand why FanDuel Sportsbook views Boston as the betting favorite to win the 2022-23 NBA title.
The Celtics have everything they need to make that declaration look prescient. Now, they have to make it come to fruition.
Further Reading
Kevin Durant Returning to Nets, Officially Putting Jaylen Brown Trade Rumors to Rest
Denzel Valentine Joins the Open Competition for Spot at Back End of Celtics Roster
[Watch] Jaylen Brown Pushes Himself to the Limit in Offseason Workout
[Video] Jayson Tatum Shows Out at CrawsOver Pro-Am
Here's What Stands Out About the Celtics' Schedule
How Much of a Rest Advantage Do the Celtics Have This Season?
