Mikal Bridges to Knicks: How Have the Betting Odds Shifted?

NBA free agency is a few days away, but moves are already being made around the league.

On Tuesday, the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, who now own a ton of extra future draft picks.

In Bridges, New York is getting a two-way player who averaged 34.8 minutes, 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game last season with Brooklyn while playing in all 82 games.

Mikal Bridges Trade Betting Impact

The Knicks' odds to win the NBA Finals were +1600 at FanDuel Sportsbook before the trade was finalized.

Their odds then shifted to +900 after the deal and have settled at +1000 hours after the trade news.

The +1000 odds tie them for fifth in the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Nets are +100000 to win the Finals, tied for last in the league, as they head into a rebuilding phase after a 32-50 season.

NBA Championship Odds 2024-25

Here is each team's NBA Finals odds ahead of the 2024-25 season, as of June 26th.

NBA Eastern Conference 2024-25 Winner

The Knicks have +500 odds to win the Eastern Conference, tying them for second in the conference.

The Nets are +30000.

What It Means for the Nets

The Nets are clearly beginning to rebuild, so their long odds to win the title and the East don't represent any value.

What It Means for the Knicks

This side, clearly, is more interesting.

Last season, the Knicks finished 50-32 and reached the conference semifinals in the playoffs.

Jalen Brunson and company finished fifth in net rating (+4.9) in the regular season in 2023-24 and actually underperformed their Pythagorean win record (53-29) based on point differential.

They're a strong squad already and now add in Bridges, who generated 4.2 win shares (via Basketball-Reference), a mark that did land him outside the top-100 in the league in 2023-24.

Still, there's a level of consistency (both in terms of games played and on-court impact) that Bridges can bring to the Knicks that has led to a shift in the market odds.

With that being said, New York went from +1600 (5.9% implied probability) to +1000 (9.1%) to win the title.

They're still +500 to win the East (16.7% implied), which seems like the better route to go for those who believe Bridges can get the Knicks over the hump and into the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998-99.

Looking for the latest NBA odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the NBA betting options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.