Lakers NBA Finals odds skyrocket after Luka Doncic trade

The NBA has been completely turned on its head in just 48 hours.Luka Doncic is now a member of the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, and De’Aaron Fox has been paired up with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.The Lakers’ blockbuster addition dramatically moved them up the oddsboard as a legitimate threat to win the NBA Finals, with Los Angeles shifting from 40/1 down to 14/1 at BetMGM Sportsbook.Those 14/1 odds are tied for the fifth-best mark, and the Lakers are unlikely to be done dealing ahead of Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline.Dallas, whose fans have been in outright revolt after trading the 25-year-old superstar scorer, saw its championship odds decrease dramatically from 20/1 to 30/1 at BetMGM.Despite the odds shift, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison believes the Davis-led roster offers the Mavericks’ best chance to win the NBA Finals this year and going forward.“I understand why [everyone] would be shocked, initially, but I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future,” Harrison said Sunday.

“And that’s ultimately the goal and why we’re here.It’s one of those things where it’s my job to make the tough decisions that put our goals first and foremost.”The lack of belief in Doncic is stunning, but oddsmakers are not sharing his thoughts on the five-time first-team All-NBA superstar.

Doncic and LeBron James now form a tandem that many could have only dreamed of as they compete with some of the other Western Conference greats.Meanwhile, the Spurs also saw massive movement, although they are still long shots.San Antonio (21-25) was 600/1 to win the NBA Finals at DraftKings prior to the acquisition of Fox and still remains a long shot, but now sits at 200/1.Rarely do you get the kind of talent that the 21-year-old Wembanyama possesses at 200/1 odds so, assuming continued improvement throughout the season, there’s still reason to wager at those odds.Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu bl...