NBA: Donovan Mitchell pushes Cavaliers’ climb in contender pecking order
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz warms up before Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 28, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Alex Goodlett/Getty Images/AFP
Donovan Mitchell moving to Cleveland created a current with oddsmakers who now recognize the Cavaliers as something closer to contenders in 2022-23.
Acquired from the Utah Jazz, Mitchell has All-Star credentials and makes for a stellar backcourt sidekick for another All-Star, Darius Garland.
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) September 1, 2022
Books reacted instantly to the move on Thursday, with PointsBet lifting the Cavaliers’ 2022-23 NBA title odds from +8000 to +3300 and DraftKings elevated Cleveland from 55-1 to 30-1 in the immediate aftermath of the news breaking.
The Cavaliers and Bulls are -110 to participate in the Eastern Conference play-in game in futures odds released by DraftKings.
Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and rookie Ochai Agbaji and three unprotected first-round picks go to the Jazz in the reported deal. Utah is downgraded dramatically in an offseason that looks a lot like a teardown by second-year team president Danny Ainge.
Ainge parted ways with head coach Quin Snyder — technically, Snyder’s contract wasn’t renewed — and traded Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
BetMGM removed the Cavaliers from the futures bets market on Thursday but previously listed Cleveland at +6600.
DraftKings dropped the Jazz from +20000 to +40000 without Mitchell.
