NBA Futures Update – Porzingis Trade, Middleton Declines Player Option

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

The NBA offseason machine was in full swing on Wednesday evening as the Celtics pushed hard to acquire Kristaps Porzingis from Washington, and ultimately, they landed their guy following a rollercoaster of events throughout the evening by striking a three-team trade with the Grizzlies and Wizards sending Marcus Smart to Memphis and Tyus Jones to Washington.

Full trade details can be found below.

In the aftermath of the trade, the Celtics have officially been crowned stand-alone favorites to win the 2023-24 NBA Finals at +460 as drama continues to swirl around other contenders.

On top of the Porzingis news, Khris Middleton and Draymond Green have also declined player options from the Bucks and Warriors over the last few days, and as a result, NBA futures odds are on the move across the league.

Starting with Memphis, the oddsmakers seem to have faith in the Grizzlies swapping Jones for Smart, considering they originally opened with the 12th best title odds on the board at +3000, and following their latest move, they’ve leapfrogged the the Mavericks and Cavaliers to secure the 10th spot in the pecking order at +2300.

Click here for the full list of updated NBA futures odds.

Regarding Washington, though, the Wizards’ championship odds continue to plummet as they originally opened as +25000 longshots to win the 2023-24 Finals, but now in the absence of Porzingis, Bradley Beal, and likely Kyle Kuzma, that price tag has doubled with Washington currently in a six-way tie for the longest odds on the board to win next year’s title at +50000. 

Prior to the latest shift, the Nuggets and Bucks opened as co-favorites to win next year’s championship, but the Celtics have now skipped to the front thanks to Boston acquiring Porzingis along with the uncertainty surrounding Middleton’s contract situation -- as the Bucks fell from +460 to +550, while the Celtics’ odds saw a slight uptick from +500 to +460.

There’s also some question marks surrounding the future of Draymond Green with Golden State, and as a result, the Warriors’ odds have taken a minor dip from +1200 to +1300.

The Warriors’ front office remains optimistic that Draymond Green could potentially return under a new contract, but for the time being, Golden State continues to slowly slide down the board in regards to title chances.

Another side note, Miami's title odds have also been on the climb over the last week or so as the Heat originally opened at +3000, but in recent days, we've seen that number rise all the way to +1800 as Pat Riley and Co. continue their pursuit for another star to place alongside Jimmy Butler.

All in all, the latest news around the league hasn't caused a groundbreaking shift in the futures odds – but make no mistake about it, the market recalibrates after every single move, and it’s always worthwhile to keep track of how the oddsmakers react to each individual decision made by teams throughout the offseason.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson