In a league that is becoming increasingly known for its blockbuster trades, the NBA yet again delivered excitement for fans, especially those in the Phoenix area.
The Phoenix Suns have pushed all their chips in on Kevin Durant, acquiring the 13-time All Star from the Brooklyn Nets for a massive haul centered around Mikal Bridges and four unprotected first round draft picks. This deal comes days after Brooklyn also sent Kyrie Irving out of town, trading him to the Dallas Mavericks after it became clear he didn’t want to re-sign with Brooklyn and wanted out.
The deals have had instant impacts on Arizona sportsbooks, especially the Durant trade.
Phoenix has vaulted up the oddsboard, moving from +1800 to win the NBA championship to its current odds of +450, trailing only the Boston Celtics. The Western Conference appears to be wide open this year, leading Phoenix and new owner Matt Ishbia to go all in.
With deals of this magnitude becoming more the norm in the NBA, BetArizona.com took a look at some of the biggest trades made at the deadline in the league since 2010 and the effect they had on Arizona NBA betting.
Utilizing historic BetMGM Sportsbook odds from SportsOddsHistory.com we looked at the odds from these teams before and after the trades they made to find the biggest shifts.
Biggest NBA Trade Deadline Odds Shifts Since 2010
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Sportsbooks See Suns as Instant Contender
The Durant trade has made the Suns a bigger favorite than any other deadline move since 2010 with their jump from +1800 to +450 on Arizona sports betting apps.
The most comparable move in recent memory was the James Harden trade last year, a move that led to a similar jump in odds for the Philadelphia 76ers. The biggest shift of all was with the 2017 New Orleans Pelicans, who used a trade for DeMarcus Cousins to go from no shot (+75000 before the trade) to longshot (+8500 after the swap), a staggering 66,500 point odds change.
Interestingly enough, or perhaps ominously enough for Suns fans, is the lack of championship success for these teams that have made big deadline moves. None of the other four teams listed even made it to the NBA Finals, which is clearly the expectation for the Suns after the blockbuster move.
Time is Now for Suns
Suns fans have been used to disappointment over the past fortnight, as the current two-year playoff streak they now enjoy was preceded by 10 straight years of missing the postseason.
A surprise run to the NBA Finals two years ago brought excitement back to the team before a disappointing second round exit last year. With the lineup now bolstered by Durant, this roster features scoring threats throughout, with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton also in the mix.
The time was now to invest in a player like Durant, who has shown interest in coming to Phoenix as far back as the offseason. Durant has shown his ability to be a game-changing player this season when healthy as the Nets were 18-2 in his last 20 healthy games played.
The Nets season (DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona now has them +8000 to win the NBA title) took a downturn when it became clear Irving wanted out, and Phoenix has been on the rise after dealing with injuries and a slow start to the season.
The teams were perfect fits for a trade and the massive flips on the odds board reflect what a truly season altering trade this could be for the Suns.
