The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone, meaning we’ve reached the happy hour of the season. Some teams, namely the Phoenix Suns, are having themselves a celebratory drink or two tonight, preparing for the playoffs with re-established championship aspirations. Others, well…let’s just say every trade has a loser. Who are we pouring one out for?
The Brooklyn Nets
Do the Brooklyn Nets even deserve our sympathy? They are simply paying the karmic debt that comes with calling yourself New York’s team.
James Harden. Gone. Kyrie Irving. Gone. Kevin Durant. Gone. Their championship odds and dignity have followed suit.
Now left with Ben Simmons, Mikal Bridges and the ghosts of All-Stars’ past, they’ll be left in a pseudo rebuild without access to many of their own picks.
Durant and T.J. Warren being shipped off for four first-rounders, Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and a smattering of minor assets was the final nail in the coffin for Brooklyn. They’re now left to pick up the pieces of yet another organizational failure.
The real loser of this trade, though, is Bridges. He’s a damn good player and was integral to the Suns’ chances. Ever so quickly he’s been sent to a place with worse players, weather, and hope than Phoenix. It’s hard not to feel bad for him.
The Suns will get the hype, and it’s justified. Combining the forces of KD, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deadre Ayton has them at +240 to win the Western Conference via FanDuel. Those odds mean a $100 wager would win $240 in profit. Their depth is comparable to their biggest competitor, the Denver Nuggets. Even with a (potentially three-time) MVP, Denver’s star power doesn’t match up.
Thomas Bryant
Thomas Bryant will forever be enshrined in the history books. Posting up in the shadow of LeBron James’ record-breaking shot, he has epitomized the television show extra for the Los Angeles Lakers. He performed admirably at the center spot, but after trading for the likes of Mo Bamba and Jarred Vanderbilt, there is simply no more room for him.
He’ll forever be remembered for his minor contributions in gold, but now gets better championship odds as the backup to Nikola Jokic. At +750, Vegas sees the Nuggets, his new team, as the last of the first tier of contenders. He’ll serve as an important depth piece.
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Russell Westbrook
Few players in the NBA are more polarizing than Russell Westbrook. Stat-padder or castaway? Starter or rotation player? Love him or hate him, you have to admit it’s been a tiring run for the athletic freak.
Since signing a five-year max extension, he has been traded four times. Now, he’ll hope to enter the buyout market after a trade to the Utah Jazz. Caught between a playoff push and a tank, Westbrook is no longer playing with the greatest of all time.
Further, the Lakers are gearing up for life without Westbrook, and brighter days are ahead. They’ve gotten better, deeper, and more versatile in the last few weeks. Expect the odds to respond, despite Los Angeles currently residing in 13th place out west.
John Wall
Poor John Wall, man. He’s seen the highs and lows of NBA basketball. Back with the Houston Rockets, he appeared in 40 games across three seasons, one of which he completely sat out. Dealing with injuries and mental health struggles, Wall remains an inspiring story.
We thought the Los Angeles Clippers would offer Wall a chance to rebound, surrounded by stars and quality coaching. They were deep enough to let him rest when necessary. Even in fifth place, the Clippers have found themselves better off without Wall, sending him back to Houston in a package that included Eric Gordon.
Wall made it out. He made it to a playoff team. Now, he’s back to square one. I’m not sure we’ll see Wall in another professional game.
Los Angeles got better and currently holds the third-best odds to win the West (+500). There may be some sneaky value here if their stars can stay healthy.
BASIC TIPS
This article includes futures bets, which are wagers placed on events in the more distant future. They offer more lucrative odds at the expense of uncertainty: more time between placing a bet and the event playing out means more time for randomness and otherwise detrimental events for your bet.