Brooklyn Nets NBA Title Odds to Increase After James Harden Blockbuster Deal

The Brooklyn Nets are upgrading an already impressive lineup, as James Harden appears to be joining the roster. The Houston Rockets star has been looking to leave his Western Conference team in favor of a better situation for a while now. As of Wednesday, January 13, it appears he has that better situation. A deal is close which would reunite “The Beard” with his former OKC Thunder teammate, Kevin Durant.

Blockbuster deal to send Harden to Brooklyn

With James Harden displeased in Houston, it appears his team of Jason Ranne and Chafie Fields from Wasserman have helped find him a new team. Reportedly, it’ll be a three-way deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers also part of the trade. The Rockets will get Caris LeVert, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, four 1st round picks (including the Cavs’ 2022 first-round pick), and four Nets picks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will acquire Jarrett Allen and Tauren Prince in the deal, while Brooklyn lands former NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden

The news about the James Harden trade arrived via ESPN’s NBA insiders Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday.

James Harden hired Jason Ranne and Chafie Fields from Wasserman to secure a trade for him. They worked closely with the Rockets and all teams involved to secure the deal. Wasserman also represented Russell Westbrook and worked closely with the Rockets on his trade to Wizards. https://t.co/4LG0hC5wmz

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 13, 2021

Not long after the above tweets, Woj also indicated a fourth team entered the mix. Per Woj’s tweet, the Indiana Pacers are acquiring Caris LeVert and sending former All-Star Victor Oladipo to the Houston Rockets.

Breaking: The Rockets are expanding the deal to send Caris LeVert to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo, sources tell @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/U3GcJB4B64

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 13, 2021

Ahead of the deal on Wednesday morning, there were odds for which team would end up getting James Harden. The Philadelphia 76ers led all teams with +150 odds, followed by Brooklyn at +200 and Miami at +275.

James Harden being traded to the Nets was available at +200 at BetOnline as of this morning.

ARTICLE: https://t.co/A2y4gRPPm8 pic.twitter.com/yJHJBmGQkQ

— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) January 13, 2021

Latest NBA Championship odds

Obviously, a lot of moving pieces are happening with what appears to be a four-team trade in the NBA. However, the biggest move is James Harden going to the Brooklyn Nets. He’ll now form another NBA Big Three which features former OKC teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

KD and Harden have both won league MVP Awards. Irving and KD each have championship experience, so it seems Harden is going to the sort of dream situation he’d want. He’ll also be coached by first-year head coach Steve Nash, a former two-time MVP with the Phoenix Suns.

The NBA Championship odds could shake up just a bit. As of this writing, the Brooklyn Nets are +500 to +650 at various sportsbooks including Bovada, BetOnline, and BetNow. However, we expect the odds to change as the trade shakes out. The Los Angeles Lakers are still overall favorites at +210 to +225 at books, followed by the Nets, Bucks, and Clippers. 

Stay tuned as things are about to get very interesting in the league. Are the Nets the new favorites to win it all, or will King James and the Lakers continue to reign supreme?

Visit our NBA odds page for more of the latest basketball updates.