One month ago, Zion Williamson had no NBA affiliation, Oklahoma City was still a playoff contender and Toronto was considered the current and future home of Kawhi Leonard.
Back then, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Raptors were 1-2-3 for the 2020 title at PointsBet. The Thunder, at +2500, were ahead of the Brooklyn Nets (+3000) in NBA projections.
Then the wildest summer in NBA history unleashed an unpredictable avalanche of roster changes with more address changes than Jared Dudley (who, coincidentally, changed teams himself landing with the title-favorite Lakers, joining his seventh organization since the 2007 draft).
If you invested early and trusted your inner Woj on the Nets’ rumors, there’s a chance you got them for the 2020 title at +3000 at FanDuel on the same date (June 15) we saw this price from PointBet.
At that time, the Golden State Warriors were sixth (+1200) and one spot ahead of the Clippers (+1400).
Of course, much has changed since mid-June.
Kevin Durant is with Kyrie Irving as members of the Nets.
Brooklyn’s lone All-Star, D’Angelo Russell, now calls Steph Curry a teammate with Golden State.
The Clippers made the biggest splash of them all, pairing Kawhi with Paul George, who was traded for everything but Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s shoes to Oklahoma City (really, just two starters and five draft picks went to the Thunder).
The future line for the Clippers taking the 2020 crown jumped to the point that Super Book USA installed them as 7/2 favorites; Milwaukee and the Lakers are 9/2.
However, if you trusted your internal investment instincts and put down a duffle bag of cash on the New York Knicks, longshots at +4500, to take home the 2020 title, the wounds are probably still too fresh. The Knicks struck out in free agency — unless somehow Marcus Morris suits your description of a superstar — and sat at +15000 after the dust settled.
There’s really only one known worthwhile domino left to fall in the roster reshuffling, and that’s point guard Chris Paul. Yes, he’s inching closer to 35-years old and isn’t the picture of health, but if a buyout leads him to a contender, odds could shift.
Paul is currently contractually obligated to the Thunder by way of the Russell Westbrook-Rockets deal, that boosted Houston from +1150 to +1000. Super Book USA moved Houston to No. 4 in title odds, even with Philadelphia, and behind only the Clippers, Lakers and Bucks.
