Wait 'Til Next Year? Oddsmakers Down on Knicks' Title Chances

Wait 'til next year...and the next year...and the next year.

It's more of a summer tradition than a trip to The Bronx or Queens at this point, but the end of the NBA Finals often serves as a reminder to New York Knicks fans just how far away they are from earning a Larry O'Brien Trophy hoist of their own. Oddsmakers are more than happy to drive the message home: early fortunes for the 2023 NBA title place the Knicks in five-figures, with Caesars Sportsbook and BetOnline.ag placing them at +15000. DraftKings has them at +20000, as does Fox Bet.

Should the Knicks once again fall short of summer hardwood glory, it would push their title drought to five decades, the third-longest amongst previous champions (behind Sacramento and Atlanta at 71 and 64 years respectively).

It's hard to truly fault the oddsmakers for their pessimism: the Knicks (37-45) are coming off a disappointing season that saw them fail to capitalize on a 2021 playoff berth, falling six games short of the Eastern Conference's Play-In Tournament. It's set about a summer of speculation centered around veterans like Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Even the 11th overall pick they hold in the coming NBA Draft in Brooklyn on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) will be up for discussion and the quest to improve their title odds could even see the departure of franchise face RJ Barrett (though this is generally seen as a last resort).

The Knicks' gambling numbers would no doubt improve if they fulfill even one of their offseason goals, which currently seem to center around Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell.

To little surprise, the most recent Finals competitors from Golden State and Boston are favorites to compete for the title again, with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers (talent-heavy teams beset by injury) lingering close behind.