Boston Celtics Are Now the Champs, but Who is Next?

The Golden State Warriors. Those Warriors are considered one of the best teams of all time, and the league seems as deep now as ever.

Outside of the Celtics, there are many teams with a shot to win the championship next year. The league is as balanced as it has ever been, and we believe the odds aren’t reflecting how close things really are. We are going to take a look at all the odds to see what the best NBA picks may be for next season.

The early 2024-25 NBA Championship odds are as follows:

Team	Odds
Boston Celtics	+300
Dallas Mavericks	+700
Denver Nuggets	+800
Oklahoma City Thunder	+950
Milwaukee Bucks	+1000
Minnesota Timberwolves	+1100
New York Knicks	+1600
Philadelphia 76ers	+1600
L.A. Clippers	+2000
Golden State Warriors	+2200
Los Angeles Lakers	+2200
Memphis Grizzlies	+2500
Phoenix Suns	+2500
Miami Heat	+3500

Last Season’s Results

The NBA standings 2024 ended with the following twenty teams in the playoff race:

Conference	Team	Record
Eastern Conference	Boston Celtics	64-18
	New York Knicks	50-32
	Milwaukee Bucks	49-33
	Cleveland Cavaliers	48-34
	Orlando Magic	47-35
	Indiana Pacers	47-35
	Philadelphia 76ers	47-35
	Miami Heat	46-36
	Chicago Bulls	39-43
	Atlanta Hawks	36-46
Western Conference	Oklahoma City Thunder	57-25
	Denver Nuggets	57-25
	Minnesota Timberwolves	56-26
	LA Clippers	51-31
	Dallas Mavericks	50-32
	Phoenix Suns	49-33
	Los Angeles Lakers	47-35
	New Orleans Pelicans	49-33
	Sacramento Kings	46-36
	Golden State Warriors	46-36

Celtics and Mavericks Are Low Value

Although it seemed like the Celtics dominated the season from start to finish, this last season was full of contending teams. The Celtics and Mavericks were not quite the NBA odds to win the championship next year, but we aren’t sure that

The Celtics were the number one overall seed at the end of the regular season, and many expected them to make the Finals. That being said, their path was never expected to be as easy as it was. The Eastern Conference was decimated by injuries during these playoffs and the Celtics were the beneficiaries. The four most likely teams to give the Celtics a run for their money, the Sixers, Heat, Knicks, and Bucks all exited the NBA playoffs early partly due to Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Jalen Brunson, and Giannis Antetounkoumpo all getting injured. The Celtics are certainly poised to make another run at a championship, but at +300 there is very little value in their odds.

Dallas also had a different path to the Finals than many expected. As just the fifth seed in their conference, most bettors had teams like the Timberwolves as their pick to make it all the way. Instead, Luka Doncic carried an under-talented roster to the final round. Unless Dallas picks up some more talent this offseason, we don’t expect them to be able to make another NBA Finals next year, let alone win it all with +700 odds.

Odds We Like More

There are a couple of NBA MVP odds, and after flaming out earlier than expected in this year’s playoffs, the Nuggets will likely retool this offseason. That, with Jamal Murray hopefully entering next year’s playoffs a bit healthier, should put the Nuggets at the top of the Western Conference contenders list once again.

Another team with decent value on their early 2024-25 NBA Championship odds is the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves shocked everyone this season, winning 56 wins and eliminating the defending champions in the second round in dominant fashion. They had the league’s best defense, and have a budding offensive superstar in Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves are +1100 to win the championship next year, and their playoff experience this season may set them up for a deep run next year.

Teams like the Bucks +1000 and the 76ers +1600 are always in contention with stars like Antetokoumnpo and Embiid on their roster. If those stars can stay healthy they will be giving the Celtics a run for their money in the Eastern Conference.

Finally, there are the teams with aging veteran cores who may have one last hurrah in them. The Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant lead their team to another championship? Time will tell.