(The Spread) – Since the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn late last month, the Nets’ 2014 NBA Finals odds have been on the rise.
On June 27, Pierce, Garnett and Terry were traded to the Nets in a draft day blockbuster with the Celtics. The deal prompted team owner Mikhail Prokhorov to release a statement last week that stated, “Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets.”
Last week the Nets are 14/1 to win the 2014 NBA Finals, down from 30/1, which was their opening odds to win next season’s NBA title. But according to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Nets are now 12/1 to win the 2014 NBA Finals and it would appear as though their odds will continue to move the closer we get to the regular season.
Meanwhile, the only other team that saw their title odds shift was the Miami Heat, who are now 21/10 to win after they were 2/1 to win last week. Those odds make the Heat the favorite, while the Thunder have the next-best odds at 6/1 and the Rockets are 9/1.
On Tuesday, the Heat waived shooting guard/small forward Mike Miller via the amnesty provision. Miller had two years and $12.8 million remaining on his contract but by clearing his salary, Miami moved from its third tier of the luxury tax threshold and into the second tier. That allows the team to save roughly $17 million in luxury tax bills this year, as well as upwards of $40 million over two years.
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