NBA Championship Odds Update Following 2024 NBA Draft

There have been some changes in the NBA Finals odds for next season following the 2024 NBA Draft.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates his three point shot against Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Phase 1 of the 2024 NBA offseason is complete.

The 2024 NBA Draft came to a close on Thursday evening, and while there weren't any massive trades made during the two-day draft, there were still some moves prior to it beginning that shifted the NBA Finals odds in a big way.

Shockingly, both involved the New York Knicks.

New York agreed in principle to a deal for Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges, reuniting him with his former college teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, and it then signed OG Anunoby to a long-term deal -- keeping him from reach free agency -- just hours before the first round of the draft kicked off on Wednesday night.

Those two moves took New York from +1600 to +850 at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the NBA Finals, by far the biggest movement of any team in the past week.

Since the 2024 NBA Draft lacked a proven No. 1 prospect, there wasn't much that was going to change on a few picks. The biggest deal during the draft came from the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they jumped up into the lottery to take guard Rob Dillingham with the No. 8 overall pick.

Still, that wasn't enough for oddsmakers to change the Wolves' odds to win it all next season. With things staying pretty static outside of a few teams, let's refresh the NBA championship odds with free agency just around the corner.

NBA Finals Odds for 2024-25 Season

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Boston Celtics: +290
• Denver Nuggets: +800
• Oklahoma City Thunder: +850
• New York Knicks: +850
• Minnesota Timberwolves: +1000
• Milwaukee Bucks: +1000
• Dallas Mavericks: +1100
• Philadelphia 76ers: +1300
• Los Angeles Lakers: +3000
• Golden State Warriors: +3000
• Phoenix Suns: +3000
• Los Angeles Clippers: +3500
• Miami Heat: +4000
• Cleveland Cavaliers: +4000
• Memphis Grizzlies: +4000
• Indiana Pacers: +5000
• New Orleans Pelicans: +6000
• Sacramento Kings: +7500
• Orlando Magic: +9000
• Houston Rockets: +10000
• San Antonio Spurs: +15000
• Atlanta Hawks: +20000
• Chicago Bulls: +80000
• Washington Wizards: +100000
• Utah Jazz: +100000
• Toronto Raptors: +100000
• Portland Trail Blazers: +100000
• Detroit Pistons: +100000
• Charlotte Hornets: +100000
• Brooklyn Nets: +100000

Celtics Remain Heavy Favorite to Win Back-to-Back Titles

Since DraftKings Sportsbook released its opening odds for the NBA Finals, Boston has clocked in as the favorite at +290 -- the only team with shorter than 8/1 odds to win it all. The Denver Nuggets (+800), Oklahoma City Thunder (+850) and Knicks (+850) are the only teams that have shorter than 10/1 odds to capture the title next season.

Minnesota and Milwaukee both were originally in that group, but they've fallen back to +1000 since the end of the 2023-24 season.

Boston should return most -- if not all -- of its core rotation players in the 2024-25 season, whcih is a big reason why oddsmakers have set it as such a huge favorite. That being said, Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss multiple months to open the 2024-25 campaign after undergoing surgery on his ankle.

While that could hurt Boston in the regular season, it still is set up nicely to run things back once the playoffs roll around.

Knicks Are Biggest Mover in NBA Championship Odds

I've already mentioned the moves that the Knicks have made to increase their odds of winning the title this season, but I believe looking at their implied probability to win the title tells the full story.

At +1600 (before the Bridges trade and Anunoby signing) the Knicks had just a 5.88 percent chance to win the title in the 2024-25 season. That has now moved to 10.53 percent with their new odds of +850.

The Knicks are still trying to find a way to bring back Isaiah Hartenstein, making several deals with draft capital during the 2024 NBA Draft, but as constructed they are expected to be one of the best teams in the league next season.

Grizzlies Make Small Jump in NBA Championship Odds

There weren't many teams that made a move n the NBA Finals odds, but the Memphis Grizzlies were one of them.

Memphis went from +4500 to +4000 -- a small move -- to win the title after the draft.

The Grizzlies added Wooden Award winner Zach Edey with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round, giving them a huge presence at the center spot to pair with Jaren Jackson Jr. I'm not sure how Edey will translate in the NBA, but clearly Memphis thinks he can be an impact player since it took him so high.

The Western Conference is loaded, but the Grizzlies could be slept on with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane and others expected to return from injuries that kept them out for large chunks of the 2023-24 season.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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