NBA Trade Deadline Recap: Watch Out For These Teams and Players

Relatively Quiet NBA Trade Deadline Still Stirred the Odds

February 9, 2024 81 3 minutes readNBA Picks & Parlays

NBA Trade Deadline Recap: Watch Out For These Teams and Players — Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP

Luka Doncic and Mavericks Among Deadline’s Winners
NBA Trade Deadline’s Biggest Risers

Luka Doncic and Mavericks Among Deadline’s Winners

There were no blockbuster deals in this 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. But while no superstars moved NBA teams, we’re still seeing some movement on the outright NBA odds boards.

Specifically, the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks have shortened NBA odds thanks to some big deals. And Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic also sees his MVP odds adjust. Which moves made this NBA Trade Deadline recap worth betting on?

NBA Trade Deadline Biggest Risers

The Mavericks made two significant deals in this NBA Trade Deadline recap. Dallas acquired center Daniel Gafford from Washington and forward P.J. Washington from Charlotte. It had to deal away forward Grant Williams and guard Trey Burke. But the consensus is that this deal significantly improves the contender.

Dallas’s NBA championship odds shortened from 45-1 to 40-1 as a result of the moves. And Doncic’s MVP odds improved from 13-1 to 12-1. The Mavericks are currently eighth in the Western Conference with a 29-23 record. But Dallas also has one of the easier remaining schedules.

Should Dallas make a strong run towards the season’s end, we can expect both the teams’ and Doncic’s odds to continue to shorten. Now might be a good time to bet on both as the 24-year-old has NBA player stats of 34.6 points, 9.5 assists, and 8.8 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Knicks also made some significant moves partly due to their current NBA injuries. Star forward Julius Randle is still sidelined along with OG Anunoby. Thus, the Knicks traded for a pair of Pistons scorers: Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. The swingmen combine to score over 32 points.

New York’s Eastern Conference odds went from +1100 to +700 and its NBA finals odds shortened from 35-1 to 20-1. There is hype behind New York again and if this team can maintain its momentum (it is 16-4 this 2024) it may be a shrewd bet to capture the title. Now is the time to wager on the Knicks while they are shorthanded.

Other Trade Deadline Winners

Other minor winners in this NBA Trade Deadline recap are a slew of contenders like Boston, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma City. Their lines shortened a bit on the NBA futures (partly due to Philadelphia’s lengthening).

The Celtics traded for forward Xavier Tillman from Memphis while Milwaukee acquired three-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection Patrick Beverley from Philadelphia. Oklahoma City then added former All-Star swingman Gordon Hayward from Charlotte to bolster its wing depth.

These moves may impact Giannis Antetokounmpo’s and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP odds.

They are listed at +700 and +250 to win with the latter being second only to Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Adding Hayward, if healthy, can help push the Thunder to clinch the top seed in the West. And with ‘SGA’ averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and a league-leading 2.2 steals, he may be the best bet per the NBA MVP odds.

The Pacers also made a bold move by shipping out Buddy Hield for role players and three picks. This is good news for the Pacers’ younger players like guard Bennedict Mathurin and forward Aaron Nesmith. The duo could see an uptick in their usage and they may even average better than their 14.6 and 12.5 points, respectively.

But What of the Philadelphia 76ers?

We mentioned the 76ers’ outright odds lengthening and that’s mainly due to Joel Embiid’s injury. The reigning MVP was on pace to win it again but is now sidelined for at least four weeks. Hence, Philadelphia’s championship odds have gone from 12-1 to 20-1. The team has dropped seven of its last eight NBA games and could slide out of a top-six spot in the East.

Acquiring Hield will add scoring to help guard Tyrese Maxey, who remains a heavy favorite to win the Most Improved Player of the Year award at -400. But the Sixers’ defense has yet to recover and is ranked dead-last in the NBA in defensive rating since Embiid got hurt. Even with longer odds, it’s tough to back Philly now.

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