Kevin Durant Odds: Where Celtics, Others Land After Reported Trade Request
The Suns are favorites in more ways than one
Kevin Durant is about to drastically improve some team's NBA title odds. In the meantime, what's the safe bet as to where he'll actually land?
Durant on Thursday reportedly requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, sending shockwaves through the NBA. Now, as free agency gets set to begin, the Nets are going to hold an auction for arguably the best player in the league as they get set to rebuild on the fly.
There figures to be no shortage of suitors, with teams already checking in, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. In fact, Wojnarowski reported the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are two teams Durant prefers.
Unsurprisingly, they top the betting board at PointsBetUSA.
Phoenix Suns +100
Miami Heat +125
Dallas Mavericks +400
Chicago Bulls +600
New Orleans Pelicans +700
Portland Trail Blazers +1000
Philadelphia 76ers +1200
Boston Celtics +1400
Atlanta Hawks +2000
Los Angeles Lakers +2500
FOXBet is also offering lines on Durant with the Heat favored there at +300 followed by the Memphis Grizzlies (+500) and the Suns (+500).
It didn't take long for the Suns to become title favorites, as they now have the shortest odds in at least one sportsbook.
Meanwhile, the Nets now are long shots.
"The first thing I did was immediately move the Nets out to 25-1," Westgate SuperBook vice president of risk management Jeff Sherman told NESN betting analyst Sam Panayotovich. "If Durant is gone, Kyrie is likely gone, too, as an expiring contract. We had Brooklyn at 8-1 before the report, went to 25-1 and we're now at 50-1. And we're open for business."
Coincidentally, PointsBet also has next-team odds for DeAndre Ayton, assuming the big man leaves Phoenix. The current favorite to land him: the Brooklyn Nets.
