Barring Lauri Markkanen getting shipped out of Utah anytime soon, SuperBook.
That’s not to say the Atlantic Division won’t be something of a three-team gauntlet. Brooklyn and Toronto are far more likely to Sag for Flagg than to make any kind of playoff push, but no two teams took bigger swings in early summer than the Knicks and Sixers.
Below, we look at what these two squads did, along with eight other teams whose maneuvers either moved oddsmakers’ needles or created a bit of intrigue as Summer League play commences.
Bold but Fragile 423x4b
Philadelphia 76ers (+850 at FanDuel to win the NBA title, 7/1 at the SuperBook), New York Knicks (9/1 at FanDuel, 8/1 at the SuperBook)
When Tom Thibodeau is your coach, it makes plenty of sense to acquire as many of Villanova’s gritty national championship squads from the late twenty-teens as possible, but did the Knicks really need to trade half a decade’s worth of first-rounders to Brooklyn for Mikal Bridges? If it results in the franchise’s first NBA title in 52 years, it will be well worth it, and if the team can keep each and every one of its rotation players healthy throughout the playoffs, New York will definitely have a shot.
But given the delicate injury history of OG Anunoby (returning on a monster five-year deal) and Thibodeau’s propensity to run his players into the ground (see: this past postseason), those are big ifs. And with center Isaiah Hartenstein departing for Oklahoma City in free agency, there’s not much depth behind Mitchell Robinson, while Julius Randle’s ability to mesh with the Villanova quartet will be of paramount importance.
The Sixers, meanwhile, made the biggest pure free-agency splash of the offseason, luring Paul George away from the Clippers on a four-year mega-deal. He replaces every Sixers fan’s least favorite player, Tobias Harris, in the starting lineup.
While George’s fit alongside incumbent stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey should be sublime, his injury history is worrisome — as is Embiid’s. In of depth, Caleb Martin was a sneaky-good g that will deplete the Heat, while Andre Drummond is an upgrade at backup center over Mo Bamba, and Eric Gordon should make up for the loss of De’Anthony Melton.
Contenders Making Clear Upgrades 4u5h4s
Oklahoma City Thunder (+750 at FanDuel, 7/1 at the SuperBook), Dallas Mavericks (10/1 consensus)
Presumably atoning for last season’s failure to acquire a big at the trade deadline to spell or Chet Holmgren, the Thunder overpaid for Hartenstein (3 years, $87 million). But they had the money to spend, and it’s hard to think of a more perfect fit than the ex-Knick. Factor in the savvy swap of Josh Giddey, a playmaking savant who can’t shoot or defend at a league-average level (yet), for one of the league’s elite 3-and-D guys in Alex Caruso, and OKC is understandably the current favorite to win the Western Conference.
The Dallas Mavericks, fresh off vanquishing the Thunder in a thrilling Western Conference semifinal round, are projected to be in the mix as well. Acquiring Klay Thompson from Golden State in a sign-and-trade was their splashiest move, but factor in fellow new additions Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall, and that trio represents a clear upgrade over Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Derrick Jones Jr.
One Guy Could Make a Difference 2p1z1o
Orlando Magic (40/1 at FanDuel, 50/1 at the SuperBook), New Orleans Pelicans (40/1 at FanDuel, 50/1 at the SuperBook), Sacramento Kings (50/1 consensus)
All the Magic did this offseason was re-sign much of their young rotation — including five-year extensions for supersize wings Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac — while poaching the ultimate 3-and-D glue guy, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, from the Nuggets. While even a conference title is probably way too much to expect at this point in the team’s evolution, the Magic could certainly emerge as the team nobody wants to face in the playoffs come spring.
New Orleans, meanwhile, sacrificed depth to improve its starting lineup by dealing Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, E.J. Liddell, and a pair of first-rounders to Atlanta for Dejounte Murray. But with Nance, Zeller, and Jonas Valanciunas gone (the latter to Washington), the only centers left on the roster are first-round draft pick Yves Missi and journeyman free-agent signee Daniel Theis.
Does this mean Zion Williamson will start at the five, flanked by Murray, C.J. McCollum, Brandon Ingram (to whom the Pelicans have declined to offer an extension), and Herb Jones (with Trey Murphy III as sixth man)? That’s a scary lineup to ponder, but whether that scary is of the good or bad variety remains to be seen.
Sacramento did well to retain Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk while adding DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade that only cost them Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, and a pair of second-rounders. The Kings should be absolutely electric offensively and have some youngsters — namely Keegan Murray — who could take a step forward, but their viability as a long shot title candidate will likely depend on some sort of trade deadline deal to add more depth at center behind Domantas Sabonis.
Spur-ising Veteran Additions 2t138
San Antonio Spurs (150/1 at FanDuel, 80/1 at the SuperBook)
San Antonio gave up virtually nothing to bring in Barnes and Chris Paul. Barnes has long been regarded as one of the NBA’s most positive veteran influences, while Paul will be around to create Lob City South with Victor Wembanyama and teach San Antonio’s latest lottery pick, Stephon Castle, how to play point.
San Antonio is still probably at least a season away from playoff contention in the stacked West, but these understated pickups will serve to nicely accentuate Pop Culture.
The Tortured Ex-Champs Department 476t4p
Denver Nuggets (+850 at FanDuel, 9/1 at the SuperBook), Golden State Warriors (45/1 at FanDuel, 40/1 at the SuperBook)
Any team boasting a core four of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. is going to be a title contender, but it was Caldwell-Pope who made Denver a favorite. His departure will force Christian Braun to prove that he’s ready for prime time, while the under-the-radar pickup of Dario Saric gives the Nuggets a skilled big who should allow for Jokic to rest more during the regular season.
Saric was among the subtractions from Golden State’s roster, which saw the Splash Brothers break up. But Thompson’s defection to Dallas may sting more on an emotional level than on the court, with canny acquisitions of Melton, Buddy Hield (let’s call him the Splash Stepbrother), and Kyle “Slo Mo” Anderson (a poor man’s Draymond Green) giving Steve Kerr tons of lineup flexibility.
