Why You Might Regret Not Betting On Nets Amid Kevin Durant Trade Drama

Kevin Durant sticking with the Nets understandably had a sizable impact on Brooklyn's championship odds for the 2022-23 NBA season.

For some, it means a missed opportunity. For others, it means a golden opportunity.

Nets general manager Sean Marks released a statement Tuesday stating Brooklyn's brass met with Durant and his agent, Rich Kleiman, in Los Angeles on Monday, at which point the sides agreed to "move forward" with their partnership in search of an NBA title.

DraftKings Sportsbook reacted to the news by lowering the Nets' championship odds from +1400 as of Monday to +700. Brooklyn's odds sat at +5000 on June 30, the day Durant requested a trade.

Put another way: A $100 bet now would result in a $700 profit should the Nets win the NBA Finals. That same bet had the potential to yield a $1,400 profit as of Monday and a $5,000 profit as of June 30.

Here's a closer look at the betting timeline, via BetMGM's John Ewing:

Obviously, that's a huge difference. And while it's unclear whether the Nets will be able to put the drama behind them and contend for a title this season, they certainly have enough talent to enter the conversation if everything clicks. Brooklyn so far has refrained from trading Kyrie Irving -- in addition to Durant -- and Ben Simmons, in theory, could provide a boost upon debuting with the Nets.

Even if you're not totally confident in Brooklyn's ability to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2023, you have to feel good if you're holding a Nets ticket at +1400. At +5000, you should be ecstatic.

One could argue there's still some value on the Nets at +700. Three teams -- the Boston Celtics (+550), Los Angeles Clippers (+600) and Golden State Warriors (+600) -- still sit ahead of Brooklyn on the NBA championship betting board. But a Nets futures wager is far less appealing now. The smart play would've been to grab Brooklyn at the higher number over the past month-plus and cross your fingers that Durant someway, somehow returned to the Nets for the upcoming campaign.

Also worth noting: The Nets are +310 to win the Eastern Conference, per DraftKings Sportsbook, the second-shortest odds behind the Celtics (+270). Brooklyn is +210 to win the Atlantic Division -- behind Boston (+100) -- and -2000 to make the playoffs and +1000 to miss the playoffs.

All told, the KD trade saga created a tricky situation for oddsmakers and bettors alike. And now that we seemingly have a resolution, it's clear there was opportunity amid the chaos.