The Cavaliers have swooped with a blockbuster trade, acquiring All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Cavs sent three players (Colln Sexton, Lauri Markannen, rookie Ochaji Agbaji), three unprotected first-round picks, and two pick swaps to the Jazz, who are clearly in rebuilding mode.
This is the second major trade for the Jazz this offseason as they traded All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves for a package of players and picks. The Cavaliers now looked poised to make a move in the Eastern Conference after being eliminated by the Hawks in the play-in tournament last season.
Below, we’ll look at how Caesars’ Sportsbook championship odds changed after the Cavs acquired Mitchell.
All odds courtesy of Caesars’ Sportsbook and Vegas Insider
2023 Cavaliers NBA Championship odds: Before trading for Donovan Mitchell
| Cavaliers odds to win 2023 NBA Finals: 8/29/22 | +10000 |
Throughout the offseason, the Cavaliers were considered a super long shot to win the NBA title next season at +10000 (100/1). Cleveland was one of the surprise teams this season as they finished with a record of 44-38 and just missed out on the playoffs. The last time the Cavs had at least 44 wins was back in the 2017-18 season when LeBron James was still on the team.
Cleveland saw tremendous growth from point guard Darius Garland and center Jarrett Allen, who were both named to the All-Star team this past season. Garland upped his production across the board, which made the Cavs competitive throughout the season. The former Vanderbilt point guard averaged 21.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. Garland also shot a career-high 46.2 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three-point range on 6.7 attempts per game. Heading into this season, Garland will not have to carry the scoring load, with the addition of Mitchell, who can create his own offense.
2023 Cavaliers NBA Championship odds: After trading for Donovan Mitchell
| Cavaliers odds to win 2023 NBA Finals: 9/1/22 | +5000 |
The Cavaliers saw their NBA championship odds vastly improve with the addition of Mitchell as they are now 50/1 (+5000) to win it all. Cleveland also saw their odds to win the East (+4000 to +2500) and Central division (+750 to +360) improve as well.
Cleveland did not have to give up a lot in terms of players for Mitchell, which is a win for them. Collin Sexton, Lauri Markannen, and rookie Ochai Agbaji can be replaced with what they have on the roster. The Cavaliers brought back Ricky Rubio, re-signing him to a multi-year deal. He’s the perfect backup for Garland as we saw last season before he tore his left ACL.
Markannen was solid in spurts last season for Cleveland, but they do have an outstanding young forward in Evan Mobley, who looks like the real deal after a solid rookie season. All three players will get extensive playing time with the Jazz this season, who appear to be tanking for potential 2023 first overall pick and French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Betting advice: As of right now, it’s too early to bet on the Cavs’ odds to win the title or East until we see how the backcourt of Garland and Mitchell works together. On paper, this is a solid team that can score, but also play defense, which was one of their calling cards last season. The best bet here is to win the division as they have the young talent to compete with the Bucks.
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