Kevin Durant had the entire NBA universe at the edge of their seat for well over a month.
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The Slim Reaper‘s trade request and the drama that unfolded were the center of the NBA off-season. In an off-season where no star free agents or trades took place, KDs request was the talk of the town.
A trade for the $200 million would have had a major domino effect on the league. Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and most recently the Memphis Grizzlies were linked to Kevin Durant in an attempt to boost their championship probabilities.
Kevin Durant is one of the premier stars in the league. One of the most versatile and efficient scorers of the ball ever, KD is a player capable of taking over any game.
However, history shall remember KD as a “weak” superstar. This arose from his ill-timed move to the Warriors in free agency after losing to them in the Western Conference Finals in 2016.
And now, KD staying at the Nets has also affected the Golden State Warriors Championship hopes. The 2021-22 champs were heading into the season as one of the favorites, but their odds took a hit with KD staying put.
How did KD’s decision to stay change the Warriors’ title odds?
Durant’s decision to stay would put the Nets up as one of the contenders once again, on paper. Durant will be joined by Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and a solid set of rotation players at the Nets. This has helped push the title odds in the Nets’ favor, taking them to 5th in the list of contenders.
The Warriors slipped from having the second-best odds, to the third spot. A deflection of +50 from +450 to +500 was the change in odds associated with the Warriors.
After a stellar off-season, the Celtics find themselves on top of the bookmakers’ picks. However, despite their failure last season, the Clippers find themselves sandwiched by last years’ finalists.
Kawhi and PG returning and the addition of John Wall has put the Clippers up as paper tigers yet again.
The Clippers were the only team atop the standings to remain unaffected by KD news. The Warriors, Celtics, Bucks, Heat, Sixers, and Raptors all saw their odds take a hit with KD staying.
The Warriors might take this positively, however. Last season too, they started with similar odds to win the Championship. Stephen Curry and his Warriors would sure take it as a sign to get themselves going for a repeat.
