2021 NBA Championship Odds Update after Day 1 of Free Agency
Latest NBA Title Odds
Matthew Horner - Aug 3, 2021, 7:37pm EDTMonday promised basketball fans a crazy night, and boy, did it deliver. NBA Free Agency opened with a fleury of moves by several teams that had big implications on the league next season. There were so many players that signed deals before free agency actually opened, that as soon as the clock hit 6 p.m. on the East coast, you had announcements being made left and right. It was hard to even keep track, but what we have kept track of, is the line movement at the sportsbooks after some of these players signed. After a wild night, the dust has started to settle a bit, and now we know who improved and who declined. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest movements after NBA Free Agency:
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Teams That Improved:
Miami Heat +3500 to +2500
The Miami Heat were already one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference before Free Agency, but now their odds have gone up. Pat Riley isn’t a man that will tolerate failure for very long, and he made a power move by landing veteran point guard Kyle Lowry as soon as free agency opened. He also acquired defensive star P.J. Tucker, while also being able to re-sign his own stars like Duncan Robinson. With Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo already in place, and Tyler Herro coming off the bench, the Heat look to be a powerhouse in the East yet again.
Chicago Bulls +12500 to +10000
The Chicago Bulls took home the gold medal in free agency by signing arguably its biggest prize, New Orleans Pelicans star guard Lonzo Ball. Ball was once an afterthought on the Los Angeles Lakers, a high draft pick that had been overall disappointing, eventually being traded away for Anthony Davis. Now, he’ll be making $85 million over the next four years playing next to young sharpshooter Zach LaVine in the backcourt and All-Star big-man Nikola Vucevic. Ball has improved every year since his rookie season, and he is only primed to get better playing in front of a ravenous Windy City crowd that is hungry for a winner again.
Teams That Declined:
New Orleans Pelicans +8000 to +10000
Don’t piss off your star player. Everything the New Orleans Pelicans do from this point forward needs to be all about putting the best talent around him and keeping him happy. Otherwise, he’ll be gone. They did not get off to a great start by refusing to match the Chicago Bulls’ $85 million offer to Lonzo Ball, a player Williamson clearly liked and had great chemistry with. Why would you let a star player go who was playing well and growing with your biggest star player? The Pelicans deserve this decrease, even if Devonte Graham is a solid player.
Toronto Raptors +10000 to +15000
Gone are the days of the Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan led Toronto Raptors. As are the days of the Kawhi Leonard championship Raptors. Now, the Raptors face a real battle not to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. The good news is that with Lowry’s exit, the gates to cap heaven have opened up over $34.2 million for the team. The problem is, all the best players are off the board, and the Raptors seem to be stuck in neutral without really getting better. They will need to pull something out of a hat, but it looks like they will be at the bottom of the barrel in 2022. Life comes at you fast, Raptors fans.
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