David PurdumESPN Staff Writer3 Minute Read
Richard Jefferson on Lillard commerce: ‘The Bucks seem like an issue’
Richard Jefferson says the Bucks have grow to be his ‘”way-too-early favourite” with the addition of Damian Lillard.
The Milwaukee Bucks emerged because the consensus betting favorites to win the NBA title Wednesday after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported they’d be buying celebrity guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team blockbuster deal that shook up the chances at U.S. sportsbooks.
The Bucks moved forward of the defending-champion Denver Nuggets and into the highest spot in Caesars Sportsbook’s odds to win the title. Milwaukee was +375 on Wednesday afternoon, after the deal was reported. The Nuggets have been +425, adopted by the Boston Celtics (+500) and Phoenix Suns (+550). No different groups had single-digit title odds at Caesars.
In the deal, Portland will obtain Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milwaukee’s 2029 unprotected first-round draft choose, and unprotected Milwaukee swap rights in 2028 and 2030, sources informed Wojnarowski.
The Suns will obtain Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson, sources informed Wojnarowski.
Before the deal, the Bucks might be discovered so long as +850, behind the Nuggets, Celtics and Suns at some sportsbooks. Milwaukee had attracted the fifth-most bets to win the NBA title at DraftKings, behind Denver, Boston, Phoenix and the Miami Heat.
Jeff Sherman, a longtime Las Vegas bookmaker who oversees the NBA odds for the SuperBook, mentioned the betting curiosity within the Bucks this offseason had been minimal and that they didn’t discover any flurry of curiosity forward of Wednesday’s report.
“No legal responsibility [on the Bucks], not that a lot curiosity and we did not get hit on something in the present day because the information broke,” Sherman mentioned.
Sherman adjusted Milwaukee’s season win complete from 52.5 to 55.5 and moved the purpose unfold on the Bucks’ Christmas Day recreation towards the New York Knicks from Milwaukee -3 to -4.5.
The Heat, who have been thought-about among the many favorites to land Lillard, noticed their title odds rise from 6-1 to 25-1 Wednesday at Caesars Sportsbook.
