As the NBA goes into summer vacation mode, it’s never too early to take a look at next year’s title odds and identify which teams are smart bets for next season.
The newly-crowned Denver Nuggets ruled the NBA this season, and they are among my five teams to watch.
How about the Phoenix Suns? Yes, they are reportedly making a blockbuster trade for All-Star guard Bradley Beal, which saw their title odds shorten from +700 to +600 upon the news, but they didn’t make my top five teams to watch this offseason.
Instead, my collection of teams are those that are intriguing to me for various reasons. One team has the best roster in the league and is a tweak or two away, another just exchanged a Doc for a Nurse, while a third is a relative long shot that could pay a king’s ransom if it hits.
Oh, and don’t forget, the NBA Draft is Thursday and the free agency period begins July 1, so best believe there will be noteworthy changes to NBA rosters in the coming weeks. (cough, Zion Williamson, cough).
So without further ado, here are my thoughts on five teams to watch for the upcoming NBA season along with the team’s odds to win it all:
Denver Nuggets (+475, bet $10 to win $57.50 total)
Denver will be a force once again next season, with the big question being how they will play as the hunted vs. being the hunter.
Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray are now champions, and they’ll say all the right things about winning again. But in the past five years we’ve had five different champions, ushering in an era of parity.
They’ll probably lose Bruce Brown in free agency as he’ll get paid, but otherwise, their other top seven players are expected back.
Denver was a healthy team this season, with their core five starters all playing between 62 and 76 games, with much of that rest coming late in the season in preparation for the postseason.
With picks No. 37 and 40 in the NBA Draft, the Nuggets will probably stash one player overseas and attempt to draft a “veteran” college player who can come in and immediately provide playoff minutes, the way Christian Braun did this season.
Ja Morant suspended for 25 games with conditions to return
The NBA has suspended Ja Morant for 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season.
Boston Celtics (+550, bet $10 to win $65 total)
My pick to beat the Nuggets at the start of the playoffs folded badly against Miami, losing the first three games before forcing Game 7.
Arguably the best roster in the league could be in flux this offseason, depending on what happens with Jaylen Brown’s supermax contract.
They’ll lose Grant Williams to free agency, but we’re talking about bringing back a core that has five trips to the Eastern Conference finals in seven years, with two losses coming to LeBron James’ Cavaliers, and two coming against Jimmy Butler’s Heat.
Selling your Boston stock would be a mistake as this was one of the best teams in the NBA the past two years. They’re a couple small tweaks away from a title.
Los Angeles Lakers (+1200, bet $10 to win $130 total)
They’re a team that’s built for the playoffs with a healthy LeBron and Anthony Davis, but the question is whether those two can play enough in the regular season to get there.
If they want to keep Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves – and they should – they’ll really only have one more big move to make, which could be guard Fred VanVleet.
You’re throwing a dart on the Lakers not knowing what the roster will look like, but betting on the greatest player in the history of the sport is never a bad move.
Are Nikola Jokić-Giannis Antetokounmpo the new Magic Johnson-Larry Bird?
Colin Cowherd weighs in on who is the best player in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokić.
Nuggets make history, bring first NBA title to Denver
Craig Carton and Tim Hardaway Sr. share their highlights from the NBA Finals, including Nikola Jokić’s meme-worthy response.
Philadelphia 76ers (+1300, bet $10 to win $140 total)
No team upgraded more at coach than Philly, which moved on from coach Doc Rivers and replaced him with Nick Nurse.
If you believe James Harden will return, then a trio of Harden, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will be formidable – they had Boston beat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals before a late collapse.
If you bet the Sixers and Harden leaves, and they don’t replace him with someone in the Damian Lillard stratosphere, you’ll need a miracle.
Sacramento Kings (+5000, bet $10 to win $510 total)
If you’re looking for a team outside the top five to make a leap into the upper crust, consider the Kings, who we nailed as being a playoff team last year. They’ll let Harrison Barnes walk in free agency, and how they spend that cap space will determine if they can go from 48 wins and a first-round exit to the conference finals.
Could Khris Middleton, Jerami Grant or even Kyle Kuzma head to the Kings and give them more offense?
So who are you throwing some money on to win it all next season? Stay tuned to FOX Sports for all the updates on the shifting NBA title odds.
Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports betting analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, “Coming Up Winners,” in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.
Play FOX Super 6 every week for your chance to win thousands of dollars every week. Just download the Super 6 app and make your picks today!
Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more