NBA championship odds: Celtics, Nuggets, Clippers lead the way after trade deadline
The 2024 NBA trade deadline has seen lots of transactions as more than half the league's been involved in at least one deal, including some of the top teams in the NBA standings.
Boston has the best record at 39-12 and made multiple trades. The New York Knicks are not far behind and made arguably the biggest deal of the day in acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons.
The trade deadline passed at 3 p.m. ET Thursday and though the dust is still settling, these moves have changed the outlook for many teams ahead of All-Star weekend. Here's how the championship odds look from BetMGM after the trade deadline:
NBA trade grades: Lakers get a D-; Knicks surprise with an A
1. Boston Celtics (+275)
The Celtics' odds moved up compared to last week and they remain the favorites. Boston's biggest trade of the day came in a swap with the Memphis Grizzlies in adding forward Xavier Tillman in exchange for Lamar Stevens and two second round draft picks. Tillman can defend, rebound, and score off the bench for one of the best starting lineups in the league. Between that addition, Milwaukee's recent slump, and Joel Embiid's injury, Boston looks like the strongest squad in the Eastern Conference.
2. Denver Nuggets (+425)
Denver didn't make any major moves during the trade deadline, opting only to trade the rights to big Ismael Kamagate to the Los Angeles Clippers for $2.68 million in cash. Kamagate's currently playing in the Italian basketball league Lega Basket Serie A for Bertram Derthona Tortona.
The defending champions' odds moved up slightly while they did little at the deadline. They're 35-16 at the time of publishing which puts them in a three-way tie at the top of the Western Conference with Minnesota and Oklahoma City. With stars led by two-time MVP center Nikola Jokić and history of playoff success, sitting second in odds seems correct.
NBA MVP race: Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander ascend to favorites with Embiid sidelined by knee injury
3. Los Angeles Clippers (+550)
Speaking of standing pat, the Clippers' move for Kamagate's rights is the only notable trade for Los Angeles this trade deadline. Instead, they're sticking with a roster that's 34-16 and one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Clippers are an impressive 17-4 since Christmas and just a half-game back from the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Nuggets atop the Western Conference. Though they haven't won a title together, leading scorer Kawhi Leonard's won multiple titles before coming to Los Angeles.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (+550)
Since hiring Doc Rivers, the Bucks are 1-4 at the time of publishing. Granted, all five of those games were on the road, but that dip in performance drops Milwaukee behind Los Angeles compared to last week. The Bucks did make one of the bigger moves at the trade deadline in acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Philadelphia 76ers for Cam Payne and a second round pick. Beverley and Bucks starter Damian Lillard have a history but he'll likely provide needed help on defense, where Milwaukee ranks 19th in the league in defensive rating.
NBA potential buyouts: Spencer Dinwiddie leads group of seven candidates
5. Phoenix Suns (+1400)
The Suns' biggest move at the deadline brought them Royce O'Neale in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. O'Neale's averaging 7.4 points per game off the bench this season and could help when Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and/or Bradley Beal aren't on the floor. Phoenix is 10th in offensive rating and 16th in defensive rating at the time of publishing and O'Neale's defensive prowess could come in handy. His 1.1 defensive win shares this season as a bench player are better than all but four Suns players - Jusuf Nurkić, Durant, Booker, and Grayson Allen - who are all starters.
Chicago absent in NBA trades: The last time the Bulls traded a player saw Harden in Brooklyn, Walton with the Kings
Biggest riser: New York Knicks (+1800)
The Knicks are close behind the top five at +1800 to win the NBA title thanks to recent moves. Last week, New York's odds were +2800. They traded for OG Anunoby in January and added on to that in a trade with Detroit for Bogdanovic and Burks.
Bogdanovic was the second-leading scorer for the Pistons and Burks is averaging 12.6 points per game off the bench this season. Both will provide a scoring spark for New York while Julius Randle and Anunoby are recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries, respectively.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings based on championship odds after trade deadline
