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Trade news sent shockwaves throughout the NBA world early Thursday morning. Superstar Kevin Durant was dealt from Brooklyn to Phoenix, giving the Suns a “Big 3” of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and the Slim Reaper.
The KD trade has had a significant impact on the NBA Finals odds for both teams involved. The Suns have now become the favorite to represent the Western Conference in the championship round. The Nets, meanwhile, have fallen further out of title contention.
NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news online in the wee hours of the morning Thursday.
The Nets are trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns for a package including Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation.
Charania later confirmed that Jae Crowder would be part of the deal, as well.
Phoenix is giving up a lot to land Durant, but it could be worth it if they can land a championship. And according to the updated NBA Finals odds, there’s a good chance it happens.
The Suns have become the Western Conference favorites following the KD trade, moving from +1800 to +500. They’ve leapt the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, and Grizzlies, letting the NBA know that they’re serious about a title run.
A playoff spot was likely in the cards, with or without Durant. Phoenix sat at 30-26 before the trade, good for fifth place in the West. Unfortunately, they’ve been unable to capitalize on previous postseason appearances.
The Suns lost in the Finals in 2021, and despite having an NBA-best 64 wins last year, they fell in the semifinals.
The move to land KD could help get them over the edge.
The Suns odds to win the NBA title are now +500 on @dksportsbook. They started Wednesday at +1800.
The Nets odds have fallen to +6000. pic.twitter.com/lcVFPRH6GE
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) February 9, 2023
As for the Nets, they’ve fallen further out of championship contention. After losing starting point guard Kyrie Irving to the Mavs, those title chances dropped from +700 to +1400.
Now, they’ve seen another significant decline as they currently sit at +6000.
Brooklyn sits in fifth place in the East, and a playoff appearance could still be in the cards, but it appears they’re looking ahead to the future. They’ve now acquired young talent while also loading up on draft capital with those four first round picks.
The KD trade has already affected the projections at the sportsbooks. We’ll see the impact on the court soon.