Nets' NBA Championship Odds Take Hit After Ben Simmons-James Harden Trade

Basketball fans were treated with a blockbuster deal between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers ahead of Thursday's NBA Trade Deadline. The trade saw the Nets send James Harden to the 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and a pair of first-round picks.

Even though the deal brings several pieces to Brooklyn, Nets fans might not be thrilled that their team's NBA Championship odds have since dropped.

Nets NBA Championship Odds

The Nets currently have +600 odds to win the 2021-22 NBA Championship, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. While they're still the favorite to go on a title run, those odds are down from the +350 that Brooklyn was listed at before the trade.

Simmons infamously hasn't played a single game yet this season. He's sat at home throughout the entirety of the campaign after drawing criticism from coaches, teammates and experts due to his lack of shooting during the 2021 postseason.

The Nets' championship odds have likely taken a hit because nobody knows if Simmons is close to being in game shape. With Kevin Durant hurt and Kyrie Irving only being eligible for road games due to his vaccination status, Brooklyn needs Simmons to be at his best as soon as possible if the organization hopes to get close to the gold.

Having said that, Simmons is a great defender with playmaking abilities when he's on top of his game. He might not be the best shooter, but he won't have to be the first or even second scoring option when Durant and Irving are on the floor with him.

Veterans like Curry and Drummond also provide the Nets with some much-needed depth. Brooklyn is currently on a nine-game losing streak, so the more players to help the team get out of this funk the better.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.