The 2020-21 NBA season is officially a wrap. A hearty congratulations to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, who overcame a 2-0 deficit in the 2021 NBA Finals and defeated the Phoenix Suns to win their first NBA title in 50 years. But this is the league that never sleeps, which means it’s time to start looking ahead to the 2021-22 season and taking a stab at next year’s batch of title contenders.
With that said, let’s take a look at which teams are currently leading the pack to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2022.
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NBA Champion 2021-2022 Odds
- Brooklyn Nets (+225)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+450)
- Milwaukee Bucks (+800)
- Golden State Warriors & Utah Jazz (+1200)
- Phoenix Suns (+1400)
- Philadelphia 76ers (+1600)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+1800)
- Denver Nuggets (+2000)
- Dallas Mavericks (+3000)
- Atlanta Hawks & Miami Heat (+3500)
- Boston Celtics & Portland Trail Blazers (+4000)
- New York Knicks (+8000)
- Indiana Pacers & Toronto Raptors (+10000)
- Chicago Bulls & New Orleans Pelicans (+12500)
- Memphis Grizzlies & Washington Wizards (+15000)
- Charlotte Hornets (+20000)
- Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, & San Antonio Spurs (+25000)
- Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, & Orlando Magic (+50000)
NBA Champion 2021-2022: Forecasting 2021 NBA Draft & Free Agency
The 2021 NBA Draft is up next on the agenda, taking place on Thursday, July 29. The Pistons have the No. 1 overall pick, which they’ll likely use to select Oklahoma State product Cade Cunningham. The 19-year-old phenom has the makings of a generational talent with his massive 6-foot-8 frame and stellar playmaking ability.
Outside of Cunningham, other top prospects to watch include Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, and Jonathan Kuminga, all of whom will make an immediate impact for their respective teams. This year’s draft class looks especially deep, meaning there will still be some talented players on the board near the end of the first round.
The 2021 free-agent class is full of high-level players as well, including Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and John Collins. While Leonard, Paul, and Conley are all expected to re-sign with their respective teams, the same can’t necessarily be said of Lowry and Collins. The Knicks and Heat are among those expected to be big players in free agency, so look for them to be aggressive in their pursuit of some of the bigger targets on the market.
The list of notable free agents doesn’t end there, though. Victor Oladipo, Jarrett Allen, DeMar DeRozan, Spencer Dinwiddie, Norman Powell, and Tim Hardaway Jr. could all end up with new teams this offseason, and each has the potential to raise a team’s ceiling. The same goes for Lonzo Ball, Lauri Markkanen, and Devonte’ Graham, who would benefit from a change of scenery.
In addition to the Knicks and Heat, expect the Spurs, Thunder, Mavericks, and Raptors to be among the top spenders this offseason.