While this year’s NBA Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns is far from over, that doesn’t mean that some fans and bettors aren’t already looking towards next season. Yes, there are still several months before the 2021-22 NBA season begins, however, oddsmakers like BetOnline are starting to release odds for next year’s championship.
BetOnline is currently favoring the Brooklyn Nets at +275 odds to be next season’s league champions. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering how the Nets were favorites to win it all this year before coming up short to the Bucks in Round 2. Nevertheless, Brooklyn will begin next season with its ‘Big 3’ of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. With a full offseason and training camp together, the Nets trio should have even better chemistry next year, which is a scary thought considering how they looked unstoppable at various points this season.
The Nets bought into Steve Nash’s coaching in his first year as a bench boss, which bodes well for the team’s performance in 2021-22. Some trades and upgrades to the bench will have to be made during the offseason if Brooklyn wants to make it past Round 2 next season. The Nets may not be lucky enough to run into another contract situation as they did with Blake Griffin, so there might have to be another strategy instead of waiting for the buyout market again. Still, it’s hard to doubt a team that has Durant, Harden and Irving on the roster, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Nets live up to their potential in the 2021-22 NBA season.
2021-22 NBA Championship Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Monday, July 12
- Brooklyn Nets (+275)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+450)
- Golden State Warriors (+800)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+1000)
- Milwaukee Bucks (+1000)
- Phoenix Suns (+1200)
- Utah Jazz (+1400)
- Philadelphia 76ers (+1600)
- Denver Nuggets (+2500)
- Miami Heat (+2500)
- Atlanta Hawks (+2800)
Complete 2021-22 NBA Championship odds list available at BetOnline.ag.
Lakers Looking to Rebound After Disappointing Performance
The 2020-21 season was one to forget for the Los Angeles Lakers. After winning the championship in last year’s bubble, the Lakers started the current campaign off in promising fashion. However, lengthy injuries to both LeBron James and Anthony Davis caused Los Angeles to tumble down the Western Conference standings and enter the NBA Playoffs as the 7th seed in the West. Still, at less than 100% health, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the postseason by the Phoenix Suns (+1200).
Now, the Lakers currently have +450 odds to win the 2021-22 NBA Championship. James and Davis should be at full health by then, which means that all that’s left to do is fill out the roster around them. The team may choose to move guys like Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to bring in a legitimate No. 3 scoring option. After all, Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope aren’t exactly putting on a performance that matches their respective contracts. The Lakers also need to decide if they want to overpay a guy like Dennis Schröder or what they’ll do if Montrezl Harrell doesn’t accept his player option.
One thing is certain: the Lakers do have the pieces to build a championship contender. However, they have to find out how to fill the remaining holes quickly as LeBron James isn’t getting any younger.
Will the Warriors Be Contenders Again?
For a decent portion of the 2010s, the Golden State Warriors were one of the greatest basketball teams in NBA history. They seemed unstoppable until Kevin Durant left for Brooklyn and injuries began taking their toll. Stephen Curry missed most of the 2019-20 season with a hand injury (fortunately, he was back to form this year) while Klay Thompson hasn’t stepped foot on an NBA court since 2018-19. Barring any setbacks, both of the Splash Brothers should be good to go for next season, which is why BetOnline has them at +800 odds to win the 2021-22 NBA Championship.
After all, when healthy Thompson and Curry form one of the best backcourts in the league. Aside from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kent Bazemore, everyone on this season’s Golden State roster is signed through next year. Considering how the team finished 39-33 this year and almost made the playoffs without Thompson, it’s not unfathomable to imagine them being one of the best teams in the league next year.
