NBA title odds: Warriors open as favorites in 2019; LeBron free agency may determine other contenders
LeBron's free agency decision may ultimately determine which team has the best odds to push the Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are stacked from top to bottom with Hall of Fame-level talent. So it should come as no surprise that they are not only the prohibitive favorites to win the 2018 championship and outlast the Cleveland Cavaliers in the ongoing NBA Finals, but also the 2019 championship, too.
Based off odds released from the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook recently, they are laughably stacked in Golden State's favor, with current +125 odds. Closely behind the Warriors at +350 is their Western Conference foe, the Houston Rockets, who recently pushed them to a seven-game conference finals series before bowing out. The Philadelphia 76ers also have the second-best odds at +350.
And that's where things get interesting, especially when you consider LeBron James' impending free agency this summer. Will he choose to stay with Cleveland? Will he join another East foe, such as Philly or Miami? What about Houston, where he could challenge the Warriors in the West alongside Chris Paul and James Harden?
It's a massive curveball that will undeniably have an impact on the title odds for next season, and when you notice that Cleveland's odds are eighth-best overall at +3,000 for next season despite James making eight consecutive Finals appearances, it makes you wonder if people are already banking on him bouncing to another contender.
"When you have LeBron in free agency, you have to be careful," Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker John Murray told ESPN. "You've got Philadelphia, Miami, the Lakers and even Houston as potential destinations [outside of Cleveland]. We cut all of those teams' odds down, and we'll raise back up the teams he doesn't sign with."
Whatever James chooses to do in free agency this summer, whether it's stay in Cleveland or sign elsewhere, will have a major impact on the 2019 title race. But first, he has the challenge of 2018 on his plate, as his Cavaliers are heavy underdogs to defeat Golden State in the NBA Finals, which picks up with Game 2 on Sunday night.
















