The 2022-23 NBA season officially ended on Monday night when the Nuggets defeated the Heat in five games to capture their first NBA title in franchise history. Denver also became the fifth different team in the past five years to win the NBA championship.
Can Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and Co. repeat as NBA champions (+500), which hasn't been down since the Warriors in 2017 and '18, or will a team like the Suns or Clippers that has never hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy finally get to the promised land and win it all?
This time last year, the Nuggets were +1675 to win the title 2023 NBA Finals. The Warriors, Clippers, Suns, Grizzlies, and Mavericks all had better odds than Denver. However, as we see every season in the Association, anything can happen, and the Nuggets proved from start to finish that they were the best team in the league.
Below, we’ll spotlight a few teams with intriguing futures odds that could potentially snap their recent championship droughts next season.
Early 2023-24 NBA Finals odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM, an Authorized Gaming Operator of the NBA. Click HERE to sign up!
| Team | Odds |
| Nuggets | +500 |
| Celtics | +550 |
| Bucks | +600 |
| Suns | +700 |
| Warriors | +1200 |
| Lakers | +1200 |
| Sixers | +1200 |
| Mavericks | +2000 |
| Clippers | +2000 |
| Grizzlies | +2500 |
| Heat | +2500 |
| Cavaliers | +2500 |
| Kings | +3000 |
| Pelicans | +3000 |
| Knicks | +4000 |
| Timberwolves | +6600 |
| Raptors | +8000 |
| Hawks | +10000 |
| Nets | +10000 |
| Thunder | +12500 |
| Trail Blazers | +12500 |
| Bulls | +12500 |
| Spurs | +15000 |
| Rockets | +20000 |
| Jazz | +25000 |
| Wizards | +25000 |
| Magic | +25000 |
| Pacers | +25000 |
| Hornets | +50000 |
| Pistons | +50000 |
Early 2024 NBA Finals odds: Best bets to win their first championship
Phoenix Suns (+700). Even though the Suns parted ways with head coach Monty Williams and might waive Chris Paul ahead of the offseason, they still have the fourth-best odds to win the NBA title. The main reason why Phoenix has great odds is because of the dynamic duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Booker and Durant looked good in their limited time together on the court despite getting bounced in the second round by the Nuggets. For the Suns to return to the NBA Finals for the second time since 2021, they must buy into new head coach Frank Vogel's system and figure out how to improve their depth. If Phoenix were to waive Paul or put him in a sign-or-trade, they must get back a high-level point guard (Fred VanVleet) who can score and get others involved. Phoenix also needs to add depth at the wing spot in free agency after trading away Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges in the Durant trade. If the Suns can do all those things, they will be back in the thick of things in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Clippers (+2000). The Clippers' NBA title hopes rest on the health of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, which isn't a great spot to be in. Leonard only played in 52 regular season games but suffered a torn meniscus in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, George played in just 56 games, which won't get it done if the Clippers hope to get a top-four seed.
However, when those two All-Star forwards are healthy, Los Angeles is one of the best teams in the West. This offseason, the Clips will have to decide if they want to bring back vet point guard Russell Westbrook, who played relatively well after being traded by the Lakers and brought out by the Jazz. The 34-year-old averaged 15.8 points, 7.6 assists, and 4,9 rebounds per game and played with an energy and pace that worked for head coach Ty Lue. If the Clippers can bring back Westbrook on a team-friendly deal and can get at least 60-70 healthy games from George/Leonard, they will be undervalued at 20-1 odds.
New Orleans Pelicans (+3000). If you want a long shot to put an NBA Finals futures bet on, it's the Pelicans. Before the 2022-23 season began, there was a contingent of fans and analysts who believed New Orleans could make a deep postseason. However, that never came to fruition, as Zion Williamson missed most of the season due to a hamstring injury and Brandon Ingram only played in 45 games because of a toe injury.
Assuming both are back and a potential trade for a top-three pick (and likely Scott Henderson) doesn't materialize, New Orleans needs Williamson and Ingram healthy to avoid the Play-In Tournament. When both guys are at 100 percent, the Pelicans are tough to beat, as they have plenty of solid role players and a plethora of trade assets. It's now or never for Willie Green's crew, especially Willamson, who had a lot of fanfare coming out of Duke but has only played in 29 games over the past two seasons.
Early 2024 NBA Finals odds: Best "breakthrough" bets
Philadelphia 76ers (+1200). The Sixers shockingly have 12/1 odds to win the NBA title next season despite losing in the second round for the fifth time in the past six seasons. Philly was embarrassed in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the Celtics, which cost Doc Rivers his job and led the organization to hire Nick Nurse as their new head coach.
Nurse, who won a title with the Raptors in 2019, now has the challenging task of getting Joel Embiid and Co. out of the second round, which hasn't happened since 2001. Much of the Sixers' title hopes depend on what they do with star point guard James Harden. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported last month that Harden intends to decline his $35.6M player option, making him an unrestricted free agent.
If that's the case, the Sixers will have to decide on re-signing Harden at a higher value on a short-term deal or looking elsewhere to fill the point guard role. If the latter comes to fruition, Philly would also likely move on from Tobias Harris' expiring contract and "rebuild" on the fly around Embiid. If things go south, the Sixers will be a terrible value at their current 12-1 odds, but whenever a team has the reigning MVP, an emerging combo guard like Tyrese Maxey, and a championship coach, you also know there's a lot of potential.
Dallas Mavericks (+2000). There's a lot of uncertainty around the Mavericks, who acquired All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving ahead of the NBA's trade deadline in hopes of making a deep run in the playoffs with Luka Doncic. However, it didn't materialize, as the Mavericks missed out on the playoffs and Play-In Tourney, which was a disappointment after they were in the Western Conference Finals the previous season.
For Dallas to get back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010-11, they need to figure out what to do with Irving, who is an unrestricted free agent. Irving was solid in 20 games with the Mavericks, averaging 27.8 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game. But was Irving's production good enough to warrant a lucrative multi-year deal?
If Dallas decides to keep the Irving and Doncic duo together, they must build a competent roster around them, which won't be easy. Christian Wood and Dwight Powell are two of their notable free agent big men that they will have to decide on bringing back. If they don't re-sign either guy, it leaves two open starting spots in the frontcourt, which is less than ideal. Nevertheless, a team with Doncic alone is intriguing, and a team with Doncic and Irving is definitely worth a small wager at 20-1 odds.