5 top NBA teams that are betting favorites to win 2023-24 championship after trade deadline
NBA teams pulled off some of the biggest trades of the season in the last few hours of the 2024 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8. A few of the teams in the league like the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks were actively busy. Other teams like the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves made small trades.
However, these trades might have served to change the power equation in the league. Some of the teams only addressed the areas they could improve while keeping their winning core intact.
The trade deadline, while elevating the hope of some teams, also might have killed the hope of others on Feb. 8.
With that in mind, here are the top five title-contending teams, as per FanDuel Sportsbook, in the league after the trade deadline.
5 top NBA teams that are betting favorites to win 2023-24 championship after trade deadline
#5 Phoenix Suns (+1600)
One of the trades that stood out for the Phoenix Suns was Royce O’Neale's addition to their roster. Though the Suns did not really need anything on the offense, adding O’Neale can help the Suns’ bench.
The Suns bench is ranked 26th in the league in offensive ratings and O’Neale can really come in handy for the second unit. Coming off the bench this season for the Brooklyn Nets, O’Neale averaged 7.4 points per game while shooting over 36.6 % from beyond the arc.
The Suns have three of the most elite scorers on their roster, so, most of their offense is already figured out. They are ranked 7th among 30 teams in the league in offensive ratings. However, they still have their defense to figure out as they are ranked 16th in the league. O’Neale can also come in handy as a defensive addition in isolation.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks(+550)
Milwaukee Bucks have maintained a respectable position as one of the top teams in the conference. One of the areas where they needed to seriously address the situation was their defense. After they traded away Jrue Holiday, the Bucks' defense took a serious hit.
The Bucks seemed really keen on addressing the elephant in the room. They fired coach Adrian Griffin and instead went with Doc Rivers, a widely known defensive coach in the league. Now, before the trade deadline ended, their intention became clearer.
The Bucks traded away Cameron Payne and a 2027 second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Patrick Beverley. Beverley is a pest on defense and a really vocal player. The Bucks need both at this point. Rivers’ presence can also help further improve Beverley as a player.
#3 LA Clippers(+550)
The LA Clippers have come out as one of the legitimate contenders for the title this season. After they traded for James Harden, which was followed by eight consecutive losses, the Clippers were expected to have another failed season.
However, since Christmas, they have really turned things around with a 17-4 record. They traded for Ismael Kamagate, a center position player from the Denver Nuggets, who hasn’t played a game in the NBA.
Kawhi Leonard is having the best season of his career and the other three stars, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, are also having a great season. Given how all the stars have been productive, there is not enough reason to tick the Clippers off of the list of best teams.
#2 Denver Nuggets(+440)
The odds of the Denver Nuggets winning the title this season took a bit of a surge after the trade deadline. The Nuggets went with almost the same roster that they had before the trade deadline.
The only trade they made was Ismael Kamagate to the LA Clippers. They are currently tied at the top with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference with a 36-16 record.
With reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, they have a balanced championship roster. It would be difficult to count them out from repeating the title run.
#1 Boston Celtics(+260)
The Boston Celtics are the best team in the league, that too with a huge margin. They lead the league in win-loss record, 39-12 and have continued dominating the East since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Before the trade deadline, they had been arguably the most balanced team in the league and ranked among the top teams both in offense and defense. They added Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies for Lamar Stevens and two future second-round picks.
Tilman might not be as good as the other bench players on the offense and at this point, the Celtics do not require that either. However, Tilman is an excellent player for the forward position, especially when it comes to defense. This season, he is averaging a block per game.
The Celtics are ranked 3rd in defensive ratings and 2nd in offensive ratings. The addition of Tilman is not only going to make their bench better defensively which is ranked 7th in the league, but also improve them overall.