The 2023 NBA trade deadline is in the books. A BUNCH of players were moved — some big names, some small names — and now that the dust has settled, we have an idea of which teams to bet on, as well as which teams won and which lost.
But that’s beside the point. We’re here today to talk about a different part of the trade deadline’s aftermath. That is — the end-of-season tankathon to see who ends up with records bad enough to land a favorable NBA Draft pick. Which team do oddsmakers see having the best chance to land Victor Wembanyama? Who is close behind? Who has the more favorable schedule going forward?
Let’s dive into it.
All odds via BetMGM.
5
Utah Jazz (+430)
If I had told you back in the off-season following Donovan Mitchell’s and Rudy Gobert’s trade out of Utah that at the trade deadline the Jazz have only the fifth-best odds to end with the league’s worst record, you would likely have responded with, “only fifth?” Conversely, if I were to pose the same question in November, you would ask if the Jazz fell off a cliff after their hot start to the season.
Well, here they are. They traded away a few important pieces in order to redirect their focus on what’s really important: the upcoming draft.
Utah has the 16th-toughest remaining schedule, according to tankathon.com.
4
Houston Rockets (+430)
Yeah, this makes sense. The Rockets were always going to be bad and they have fulfilled that duty this season — just look at how their most-recent game ended:
what have i just witnessed https://t.co/qJ5MMzaKgM pic.twitter.com/CjyO8iHjdq
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 9, 2023
They currently have a share of the fourth-best odds to finish with the worst record in the league. But the better news for them is that they have THE WORST record in the league. So, perhaps Scoot Henderson or Victor Wembanyama could be within reach.
Houston has the ninth-toughest remaining schedule, according to tankathon.com.
3
Indiana Pacers (+400)
Who’s that knocking on the door of a bottom-4 finish in the NBA? That would be the Indiana Pacers — losers of 13 of their last 15 games. All things considered, they have one of the easier schedules left in the NBA, so they’ll have to find creative ways to lose if they want to sink all the way to the bottom of the standings. But it’s not impossible.
Indiana has the 26-toughest remaining schedule, according to tankathon.com.
2
Oklahoma City Thunder (+375)
The Thunder are having a good season. They are 0.5 games out of the Play-In Tournament and have a favorable schedule. Let’s see if they pull out the ole reliable “this good player is injured” trick that results in them losing games.
OKC has the 28th-toughest remaining schedule, according to tankathon.com.
1
San Antonio Spurs (+350)
Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs have the best odds of finishing this NBA season with the league’s worst odds. Even typing that sentence doesn’t seem real, but here we are. With a couple of months left to play, the Spurs have the third-worst record in the NBA, which should only get worse after trading Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson at the trade deadline.
San Antonio has the 23rd-toughest remaining schedule, according to tankathon.com.
