Clippers favorites to win title after reportedly landing Kawhi, George
The Los Angeles Clippers pushed all their chips to the middle of the table late Friday night.
In a stunning pair of moves, the club reportedly signed reigning Finals MVP and free-agent forward Kawhi Leonard and shipped two players and a record-setting haul of first-round draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George.
With those two stars in the fold, the Clippers are now favored to win the 2020 title.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Clippers | 3-1 |
| Lakers | 6-1 |
| Bucks | 6-1 |
| 76ers | 8-1 |
| Jazz | 12-1 |
| Rockets | 12-1 |
| Warriors | 16-1 |
| Raptors | 20-1 |
| Celtics | 25-1 |
| Nets | 25-1 |
| Nuggets | 25-1 |
| Thunder | 40-1 |
| Trail Blazers | 40-1 |
| Pacers | 66-1 |
| Mavericks | 80-1 |
| Spurs | 80-1 |
| Pelicans | 80-1 |
| Heat | 100-1 |
| Magic | 150-1 |
| Knicks | 200-1 |
| Hawks | 200-1 |
| Bulls | 200-1 |
| Kings | 200-1 |
| Pistons | 200-1 |
| Timberwolves | 200-1 |
| Hornets | 400-1 |
| Wizards | 400-1 |
| Cavaliers | 400-1 |
| Grizzlies | 400-1 |
| Suns | 400-1 |
The Warriors originally opened as the favorites following the 2019 NBA FInals, but Klay Thompson being diagnosed with a torn ACL combined with Kevin Durant's Achilles injury - as well as his free agency that culminated in a move to the Nets - prompted oddsmakers to move the Lakers to the top spot almost immediately.
The Lakers acquired Anthony Davis from the Pelicans two days after the title odds release, cutting L.A.'s price even shorter. There was a perception that the Lakers would land at least one more top-flight free agent, and Leonard was on their radar as the final member of their Big Three. Once the front office cleared enough cap space for a max contract, oddsmakers again tweaked L.A.'s odds in case the club signed the forward.
Leonard, who led Toronto to a championship less than a month ago, had taken meetings with the Clippers, Raptors, and Lakers. He had initially been linked almost exclusively to the Clippers for his next chapter before the Raptors became the favorites to land him during the postseason.
The Clippers are now the third team to hold the top spot on the title odds board this offseason.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.