Lakers remain heavy favourite, Raptors drop on NBA championship odds

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) celebrates with his teammates after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to ink star Anthony Davis to a new contract so far this off-season. However, with no indication that he has any plans to leave town the Lakers remain listed as heavy favourites to successfully defend their NBA title next season, sporting short +240 odds on those NBA futures at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Davis enjoyed a spectacular debut with the Lakers, teaming up with LeBron James to bring the NBA championship back to Los Angeles for the first time in a decade. The 27-year-old subsequently opted out of his contract, but is reportedly working on a new deal that could provide the team with greater flexibility in landing big ticket free agents down the road.

In the meantime, the Lakers have kept busy adding to their supporting cast. And among the Lakers' free-agent signings was centre Marc Gasol, who heads west after spending the past two seasons with the Toronto Raptors.

With the Raptors engaging in a number of offseason personnel changes, they sit well back of the Lakers as a +2800 wager on the NBA futures at betting sites. NBA championship winners in 2019, the Raptors enjoyed a steady campaign this past season, finishing second only to Milwaukee in the league standings with 53 wins. However, the team ran out of gas in the NBA playoff bubble, bowing out to the Boston Celtics in the second round.

The Raptors resisted the urge to re-sign Gasol and fan favourite Serge Ibaka, but wasted no time locking up Fred VanVleet to a four-year deal that makes him the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history. However, the team looks unlikely to pull the trigger on any further major signings this offseason. As a result, Toronto is expected to take a step back next season, with the team's win total now listed at a middling 43.5.

Elsewhere on the NBA championship odds, Kevin Durant's highly anticipated return to the court after missing all of last season due to injury has helped lift the Brooklyn Nets to +500 second favourites to claim the title. Ibaka has also headed west, joining former Raptors teammate Kawhi Leonard with the Los Angeles Clippers, who sit alongside the Bucks at +650.

The Boston Celtics saw veteran forward Gordon Hayward leave town for Charlotte as a free agent, but continue to lead the best of the rest, joining the reigning Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat at +1600 on those NBA odds. After finishing an injury-plagued season at the bottom of the NBA standings, the Golden State Warriors are expected to rebound as a +1800 wager. Further down the odds, the Philadelphia 76ers join the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets just ahead of Toronto at +2200 odds.

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