Memphis Grizzlies rising star Ja Morant has my full attention.
Through the first three games of Morant’s third NBA season, he’s averaging 35 points, eight assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block over 35 minutes per contest.
Those averages — especially in the points department — are highly unattainable, but there is absolutely no ignoring Morant’s potential to become a superstar player in the league. And if the former Murray State Racer can help catapult the Grizzlies to a top-three or four seed in the West, the narrative will write itself.
The most important part of betting future markets is to get ahead of the curve. While Morant has clearly balled out over the first week, his MVP odds haven’t really budged. He’s still the twelfth player on the betting sheet at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Morant is worth a wager right now at 35-to-1.
NBA MVP odds via DraftKings
Luka Doncic +500 ($100 wins $500)
Stephen Curry +600
Giannis Antetokounmpo +650
Kevin Durant +650
Joel Embiid +1000
Nikola Jokic +1500
LeBron James +1800
Damian Lillard +2000
James Harden +2000
Trae Young +2500
Jayson Tatum +2500
Ja Morant +3500 ($100 wins $3,500)
Paul George +3500
Devin Booker +3500
Anthony Davis +3500
Donovan Mitchell +3500
Is Morant the best player in basketball? Probably not. But he can prove to be one of the most valuable. If Memphis takes a major leap this season, it will undoubtedly be because Morant put up big numbers and elevated the game of the players around him.
There’s a precedent, too, for a young, lead guard that took the league by storm in his 22-year-old campaign. Derrick Rose pulled off the unthinkable for the Chicago Bulls over a decade ago.
Four-time winner LeBron James’ days of bringing home MVPs are likely over as he has bigger fish to fry at age 36. Odds are good that Kevin Durant and James Harden take votes away from each other in Brooklyn as will Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in Golden State.
Doncic and Giannis are surefire contenders because of their abilities and usage, but even they were beat out last year by Nikola Jokic, who came out of nowhere at 50-to-1 odds or higher before the season.
If you’re ahead of the curve on Morant, you’ll put yourself in a great position down the stretch. DraftKings and a few other American sportsbooks allow you to “cash out” of a bet. So if Morant is one of the top two or three contenders come March or April, you can take the money and run.
There’s a lot to like about Morant’s upside in the MVP market and after watching him play like a maniac in the season’s first few games, I’m ready to make a wager.
Morant’s stock is only going to rise and he’s very live at 35-to-1.
