Despite the chatter leading up to it, the 2023 NBA Draft went down last night devoid of any real surprises or big trades. Victor Wembanyama went first overall to the San Antonio Spurs in a no-brainer pick. Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson followed him off the board to round out the top three. All the big moves – Bradley Beal, Chris Paul (multiple times), Kristaps Porzingis, Marcus Smart – were made before draft night. Now that the dust has settled let’s get in on some NBA futures for next season.
Go here for daily NBA Content!
NBA Post-Draft Futures Bets
The Field to win Rookie of the Year (+155)
I like the play of putting some money down on the field to win the 2023/24 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Obviously, Victor Wembanyama is the current favorite at -200 (actually lower than I expected), but I’m throwing my lot in with the rest of next year’s rookie class.
Who knows how much responsibility the Spurs will be willing to give their young, future superstar? Who knows how his thin frame will hold up to the rigors of his first NBA season? Don’t forget! Oklahoma City expects to have their star draft pick from last season. Chet Holmgren is healthy and will be on the court this year.
The first overall pick has only won Rookie of the Year four times in the past ten years. A big man has only won it four times in the past 20. Let’s roll the dice.
Nikola Jokic to win MVP (+475)
So much of the NBA MVP voting process is based on narrative, and Nikola Jokic didn’t have it in his favor last year. The award is also very much a ‘hot potato’ type of thing, where the voters seem to like to spread out the winners over several players over several years. It was decided that last year was Joel Embiid’s year to win it.
Going against Jokic was the scant few players who have ever won three MVPs in a row, plus his relative lack of playoff success (two factors that should have nothing to do with the voting on the award, but I digress). With those two hurdles out of the way, I like the +475 we’re getting on him winning MVP #3.
Damian Lillard’s Next Regular Season Minute Played with Portland (-175)
This a long-worded prop bet, but I expect Damian Lillard to at least start next season as a member of the Portland Trailblazers. He’s always been very faithful to the franchise, but whispers were that if Portland didn’t trade out of their #3 pick and acquire a veteran star running mate for Lillard, he’d request his way out of The City of Roses. I think he’ll at least be willing to try things out with the newest addition to the roster, Scoot Henderson, before he makes any decisions on his future.
Denver Nuggets to win 2023/24 NBA Championship (+475)
The Boston Celtics are still tied with Denver for the best odds to win next season’s NBA championship. I think that’s wrong. I much prefer the Nuggets’ chances of defending their title.
They are young, talented, and still in their prime. They don’t appear to be a group of players – or coaches – willing to rest on their laurels. Denver can sit back and relax while the rest of the league scrambles up their roster to try to hit on a winning formula. There’s something to be said for cohesion and familiarity.
Phoenix Suns to win 2023/24 NBA Championship (+700)
I think there’s value in sprinkling some money on my Phoenix Suns to capture their first NBA championship next season finally. Now might be the best time to get in before they make further moves to bolster their roster.
You can’t write off Phoenix. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal are all at or near their primes (Durant and Beal, maybe not so much so now). You’d expect some useful veterans willing to sign cheap contracts to help fill out the team’s depth and chase a ring.
