After a tumultuous offseason for the Nets in which Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving wanted to be traded, it now appears that the mercurial stars are staying in Brooklyn.
The announcement last week that Durant will remain with the team next season and reports that the Nets also plan to keep Irving caused sportsbooks to raise their regular-season win total and move Brooklyn back among the betting favorites to win the NBA title.
The Westgate SuperBook, which posted its NBA win totals and NHL point totals Sunday, lowered the Nets from 18-1 to the 10-1 fifth choice to win the title.
“The number we were dealing with recently, we were in a holding pattern. Are they going to stay or are they going to get moved?” SuperBook NBA oddsmaker Jeff Sherman said. “We just felt that 10-1 was the right number. This team still has issues to work out. It’s not just the talent you see on the roster.
“Durant has been injury-prone the last couple of years, Irving has taken time away from the team during the season, and we don’t know what to expect from Ben Simmons.”
The Westgate also moved the Toronto Raptors’ NBA title odds from 30-1 to 60-1 and the Los Angeles Lakers from 16-1 to 25-1.
“We bumped the Lakers up to 25 because it took Kyrie Irving out of the game for them,” Sherman said. “No matter which direction they go now, they can’t add a player of Irving’s caliber. The Nets aren’t going to trade him.
“We bumped Toronto up because they were the team in play to get Durant.”
Brooklyn’s win total soared from 45½ to 50½ at Caesars Sportsbook and from 46½ to 49 at Circa sportsbook. The Westgate opened the Nets at 49½.
“It’s tough to go in the 50s,” Sherman said. “It would seem like a perfect season if they didn’t have any issues at all.”
The Boston Celtics have the highest win total at the Westgate at 54½, followed by the Phoenix Suns at 53½ and the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks at 52½ each.
“The Celtics were so solid in the second half of the season, and they added to the team, getting Malcolm Brogdon,” Sherman said. “Phoenix won in the 60s last season, and it has regression built into it. We’ve still got to respect them and not go too low on them.
“Milwaukee is coming back with Khris Middleton. They should be right there. I was aggressive on Denver. They won 48 games last year, and it was pretty much (Nikola) Jokic by himself. Now they’ve got Jamal Murray back and Michael Porter back. I expect them to improve with the return of those players.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at [email protected]. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.