76ers Championship Odds Improve with Butler; Raptors Still East Favorites

• The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves
• T-wolves get Robert Covingto, Dario Saric, and a 2nd-round pick in 2022
• How has the move affected the Sixers 2019 NBA Championship odds?

Jimmy Butler has finally gotten his wish.

After a 4-9 start to the 2018-19 NBA season, and a current five-game skid, the Minnesota Timberwolves have finally reached an agreement to trade the disgruntled Butler.

Minnesota has traded Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton to Philadelphia for Robert, Covington, Dario Saric and a 2022 second-round draft pick, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 10, 2018

It’s no coincidence this move comes the day after Butler made some pretty troubling remarks after a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Jimmy Butler ain’t feeling that heavy workload. https://t.co/DMWZ1e4vrB pic.twitter.com/sTSa1nhuX7

— theScore (@theScore) November 10, 2018

But how does the trade affect the 2019 NBA Championship odds for the 76ers? You’ll have to flip to the Top 5 tab in the graph below to find them.

It’s a nice little bump for the Sixers, but they still find themselves behind the NBA-leading Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

2019 NBA Championship Odds

Does Butler Make the Sixers Legitimate Contenders?

In ten games with the T-wolves this season, Butler was averaging 21.3 PPG on 47.1% shooting from the field.

Add that to a roster containing two of the most exciting youngsters in the league in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and you’ve got yourself a very dangerous trio – on paper anyways.

But there are questions about how Butler will mesh with his new team and how his rather harsh ways will be received.

Markelle Fultz after getting yelled at by Jimmy Butler pic.twitter.com/9YsTIyuQ9Q

— Charkelle (@SnowmanEmbiid) November 10, 2018

If the four-time All-Star gets back to playing lock-down defense and helps improve Philly’s 33% three-point shooting percentage (22nd in NBA), none of that will matter. They’ll be winning games.

The Sixers’ new Big Three is going to have to do the majority of the lifting, though, as the loss of Dario Saric and Robert Covington certainly harms their secondary scoring and depth.

I like the way this team is building, but I can’t see them putting it all together this season.

Who’s the Best Bet to Win the 2019 NBA Championship?

Like the last two years, your best bet is just taking the Golden State Warriors. I know the odds aren’t great, but taking anyone else is the equivalent of betting on an injury.

If you’re looking for more value, there are plenty of better options than Philadelphia.

The Toronto Raptors look very good with Kawhi Leonard leading the way. But their depth is arguably their greatest asset. Toronto’s ability to defend and their efficient offense is going to cause problems for anyone.

Top net ratings by #NBA duos with > 200 minutes:

1. Kawhi Leonard/Kyle Lowry, @Raptors: 19.7 net rating

2. Lowry/Pascal Siakam, @Raptors: 19.0

3. Lowry/Danny Green, @Raptors: 18.8

4. Green/Siakam, @Raptors: 17.9

5. Kevin Durant/Draymond Green, @warriors: 17.2 pic.twitter.com/NXBlwXDijy

— Adam Fromal (@fromal09) November 5, 2018

You may also want to take a flier on two teams who have struggled out of the gate and are seeing their odds get longer as a result.

The Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets are better than they’ve shown thus far. Brad Stevens will sort things out in Boston, and the duo of James Harden and Chris Paul will eventually start to click.