Suns title odds receive massive bump after Kevin Durant trade
Feb 9, 2023, 8:55 AM | Updated: 4:48 pm
If you don’t know how well Kevin Durant will potentially boost the Phoenix Suns, well, take Vegas’ word for it. Phoenix’s title odds received a drastic bump overnight the trade agreement surfaced.
The Suns were +1800 to win the title heading into the final day before the trade deadline.
By Thursday morning, it was +460, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
According to Bet Arizona, this was the largest NBA trade deadline odds shift since at least 2010.
That was after the teams agreed to send Durant and T.J. Warren to Phoenix for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a pick swap.
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In terms of title odds, the trade puts the Suns behind only the Boston Celtics (+280) and Milwaukee Bucks (+420). Those two squads have records of 39-16 and 37-17, respectively.
From there, the odds take a dip in favor for the Denver Nuggets (+700), Los Angeles Clippers (+1300) and Philadelphia 76ers (+1400)
Phoenix is now the Western Conference favorite at +200 to Denver’s +300. The Nuggets currently lead the Western Conference at 38-17 and enter trade deadline day 4.5 games up on the second-place Memphis Grizzlies.
The Suns find themselves in a pileup from the third through 12th seeds, where 10 teams are within a five-game range of one another.
Via tiebreakers, Phoenix (30-26) is the fifth seed. How much headway it can make after the trade deadline remains to be seen, and injuries will play a part in all this.
Devin Booker is still being held back in terms of minutes and back-to-backs due to his groin injury that zapped more than a month from his season.
And speaking of Durant, he is supposed to be out through the All-Star break that ends with the game on Feb. 19.
Phoenix will be part of a mad dash to gain a homecourt advantage in the first round.
