Moments after the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals to win the championship, oddsmakers at BetMGM adjusted the futures market for next season. The Celtics were established as front runners once again to win the 2025 NBA championship at +300 odds, according to MGM.
Even after the 2024 NBA Draft and the first week of free agency, the Celtics remain at the top of the futures board. They are the team to beat once again, but the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks bolstered their rosters in an attempt to pick off the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
Top Tier: Celtics the Front Runners… Again
No other franchise has won more NBA championships than the Celtics. They will attempt to win back-to-back titles and hang a 19th championship banner from their rafters. They inked All-Star forward Jayson Tatum to the richest contract in NBA history. But will Tatum stay hungry after he finally got paid and won a title? That’s the big question in Beantown, because the rest of the league are gunning for their title.
Second Tier: 76ers, Thunder, Knicks
The 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets are tied as three-way cofavorites on the futures board at +800 odds with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Nuggets have a favorable number only because of the extreme talent of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets parted ways with their starting point guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was the anchor of their backcourt and best defender. Without KCP their title hopes seem dim.
Led by MVP-candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder secured the #1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs in the final week of last season. Their inexperienced squad looked out of their element during a second-round exit in the playoffs. The Thunder were one of the first teams to make a big trade when the offseason officially began. They added veteran point guard Alex Caruso in a trade with the Chicago Bulls for Josh Giddey. The Thunder could be a solid contender at +800 odds.
A banged-up Joel Embiid did what he could to carry the Philadelphia 76ers on his back this postseason, but it still wasn’t enough to get them to an NBA Finals berth. Tyrese Maxey established himself as one of the next generation of stars, and the 76ers made a huge upgrade by adding All-Star guard Paul George to their squad. The 76ers saw their title odds jump from +1400 to +800 after snagging George.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks are both +1000 odds to win the championship. The Timberwolves have never won a title, and the Knicks have not hoisted a championship banner in over 50 years.
The Timberwolves looked like they were going to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals after a dominant victory against the defending champion Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. However, they were ambushed by the Mavs in the conference finals, who frankly, wanted it more. The Timberwolves took a major step forward as a franchise, but can they build upon last season’s momentum? Some experts think they have a good shot at +1000 odds.
After two decades of utter misery, basketball fans in New York City finally have something to cheer for with the resurgence of their beloved Knicks. Jalen Brunson is a bona fide superstar who gets fired up by chants of “MVP! MVP!” from loyal fans at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lost center Isiah Hartenstein in free agency, but they inked power forward OG Anunoby and added swingman Mikal Bridges in a mega-trade with the Brooklyn Nets. There’s also signs that the Knicks will finally trade Julius Randle with no shortage of rumors swirling around Gotham. The Knicks are +1000 odds to win the title, which seems a tad inflated but it reflects the legion of bandwagon fans who have been pounding the futures market.
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Tier #3: Mavs and Suns in Flux
The Dallas Mavs are the seventh-highest team on BetMGM’s futures board at +1100 odds. You’d expect they would be higher considering they won the Western Conference and advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals. They boast one of the best backcourts in the league with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but the addition of Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade did not move the needle.
The Milwaukee Bucks were a hot mess last year after they fired their coach midway through the season. They hoped to hit their stride in the playoffs, but Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo sustained a calf injury, and they were knocked out in the first round. The Bucks will always have a shot with a healthy Greek Freak, but their window to win one more title gets narrower each season. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard isn’t getting any younger, but he’s expected to play a much bigger factor in his second full season in Beer City. Right now, the Bucks are +1300 odds as the third-highest team from the Eastern Conference on the futures board.
Stuck in the Middle: Warriors, Lakers, Suns, Heat
The Los Angeles Lakers finally filled a head coaching vacancy with JJ Redick. The former NBA player has zero coaching experience but he’s a dope podcaster! The Lakers drafted Bronny James, the eldest son of LeBron James, and most of the league scoffed at the newest “nepo baby” joining the ranks of the NBA. The Lakers are a popular team, and their deep-pocketed fans are not shy at betting on their squad even if their championship aspirations are a pipe dream. You can still back the Lakers at +3000 odds.
The Golden State Warriors cut Chris Paul, and the Splash Brothers have officially broken up after Thompson bailed. But they still have Steph Curry and Draymond Green with an eclectic cast of role players. The Warriors are +3500 odds to win a title, but that number is mostly due to the popularity of Curry propping up their futures.
The Pheonix Suns are +3500 odds for a reason. They looked lost during their disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs. Kevin Durant is not getting any younger, but he’s still a part of a deadly one-two punch with Devin Booker. Bradley Beal struggled with injuries last season, and he looks washed up, which does not bode well considering the Suns are on the hook for his max contract.
The future of Jimmy Butler in latest drama in South Beach, but the Miami Heat keep chugging along. They’re +4000 odds to win a title and could tick upwards if Butler stays or it will bottom out if he leaves. All signs suggest he’s staying… for now.
The Memphis Grizzlies are +4000 odds to win the title. Ja Morant missed most of last season while recovering from a right shoulder injury and the Grizzlies went into a tailspin without their All-Star point guard. The Grizzlies still have a great coach and talented young players, but they were outmaneuvered in the offseason so far.
The New Orleans Pelicans are also at +4000 odds but there’s too much uncertainty surrounding the future of Brandon Ingram, which has been linked to multiple teams in trade rumors. There’s also a good chance that Zion Williamson will get injured at some point next season. But if Zion stays healthy, there’s potential upside with the Pelicans after they plugged a big hole in their backcourt by adding point guard Dejounte Murray in a trade.
Value Picks and Long Shots: Pacers, Kings, Magic
The Indiana Pacers snuck into the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the eventual champion Celtics. The Pacers have a legit future star on their roster in Tyrese Haliburton and made a smart move by offering Pascal Siakim a contract extension. They could ladder up and make a run at the conference crown next postseason, which makes them an enticing wager at +5000 odds.
The Los Angeles Clippers are only +5000 odds to win the title and that’s being generous after they lost George to the 76ers and made some questionable offseason additions.
The Cleveland Cavs are also +5000 odds. They’re led by Donovan “Spida” Mitchell and hope new head coach in Kenny Atkinson can elevate their young squad to a legit contender.
The Sacramento Kings took a major step back last season after an auspicious season two years ago when they shocked the Western Conference. They still have a solid core with De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and newly re-signed Malik Monk. With all eyes on other teams in the west, the Kings could sneak in the backdoor next season. The Kings also offer value at +6600 odds.
The Orlando Magic finally got a whiff of the postseason but were knocked out in the first round. They young team has a much higher ceiling next season after adding two-time NBA champion and veteran point guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the roster. Can the Magic be the surprise team from the east in 2023-24? With Paolo Banchero anything is possible, which is why the Magic are worthy of a flier to win the title at +8000 odds.
Beyond Long Shots and Moon Shots
If you pay close attention to the odds, more than one-third of the league has little to no shot to win the title next season.
The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are beyond long shots at +10000 odds, but they’re among the better teams in this bottom tier.
The Atlanta Hawks are +25000 odds and rumored to trade star guard Trae Young, who has developed the bad reputation as a coach killer.
The Chicago Bulls are +50000 odds and they’re in such bad shape they can’t even give away injury-prone Zach LaVine due to his hefty contract.
The Utah Jazz are also +5000 odds. They have a team loaded with young players and have ample future draft picks, but this is another rebuilding year for them.
There are six teams at the bottom of the futures board as astronomical moonshots to win the next championship at +100000 odds. This list of bottom feeders includes the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, and Portland Trail Blazers.
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