(The Spread) – It’s finally over: Carmelo Anthony has been traded and the Knicks’ odds to win the NBA Finals have just gone up according to oddsmakers.
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After months of speculation and rumors, Anthony is now a New York Knick. In exchange, the Denver Nuggets received Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, the Warriors’ 2012 second-round pick and $3 million cash.
Wow.
Also coming over from Denver besides Anthony is Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman. The new additions will join a roster that already features Amare Stoudemire, who signed a high-priced deal as a free agent in the offseason.
At the start of the week, the Knicks were 50/1 long shots to win the 2011 NBA Finals, but their odds have now improved with the additions of Anthony and Billups. According to oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com, the Knicks are now 30/1 to win this year’s Finals, while the Miami Heat are still favored at 11/5.
Do the Knicks have enough firepower now to take down the Heat in the Eastern Conference? If the playoffs were to start today, the Celtics would own the top seed, while the Heat would be No. 2 and the Knicks would be No. 6. New York remains 12 games back of Boston, but it can improve its playoff seeding over the next month or so and close the gap.
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