The Boston Celtics may have a challenge in the Eastern Conference next season.
The Philadelphia 76ers made a huge addition as many NBA fans went to bed early Monday morning. Paul George, a nine-time All-Star, agreed to join the 76ers on a four-year, $212 million contract. The betting market is happy with the fit.
The 76ers’ odds to win the NBA championship were nearly halved with the news. As basketball fans went to bed, the 76ers were listed at +1400 at BetMGM to win it all.
When they woke up, the 76ers were at +800.
76ers rise in the east
George and the 76ers are a nice matchup. Center Joel Embiid is a former NBA MVP and guard Tyrese Maxey was a star last season. Maxey agreed to a five-year, $204 million contract on Monday. But the results were unsatisfactory, as the 76ers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the New York Knicks.
This 76ers group, built around Embiid, has never made it to the NBA Finals. The 76ers haven’t been to the NBA Finals or even the conference finals since 2001. Maybe George can help change that.
George is 34 years old, but he’s still one of the NBA’s best wings. He’s made the NBA All-Star Game in each of the past two seasons and averaged 22.6 points per game last season. Suddenly, the 76ers’ Big 3 is formidable. George’s signing comes shortly after the 76ers added some center depth by signing Andre Drummond to a two-year deal.
The Eastern Conference should at least be a little more interesting.
Celtics still NBA favorites
One of the complaints of the last few NBA playoffs was that the Celtics’ path to the title was too easy. Due to injuries and the lack of strong contenders in the East, Boston was rarely challenged in the playoffs. The Celtics won the Eastern Conference by a whopping 14 games in the regular season and then sailed to a championship.
They are still the favorites to win the 2025 NBA Finals at +300. The Denver Nuggets are next at +750. The 76ers come in right behind, tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder at +800.
The odds to win the East also changed with the George news. The 76ers went from +650 to +400 to win the Eastern Conference at BetMGM. Oddly enough, the New York Knicks (+375) still sit second behind the Celtics (+125) in conference odds. The Knicks made their own huge addition by trading for Mikal Bridges, who averaged 19.6 points per game with the Brooklyn Nets last season.
The 76ers are simply trying to get closer to winning a championship, or at least getting back to the NBA Finals for the first time in over 20 years. There’s a good chance they’ve taken a big step in that direction with the addition of George.
