As we patiently await the start of next year’s NBA betting season, the latest news for players who bet on basketball games online gives us all something to look forward to. Chris Paul, who is widely considered to be one of the best players in the National Basketball Association, will be headed to Houston to play alongside James Harden. Harden was one of this year’s MVP candidates and the dynamism between those two ballers should be enough to change up the landscape of the Western Conference. Let’s break down who the winners and loser of this trade are.
Los Angeles Clippers
In exchange for Paul, Los Angeles has received Patric Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Motrezl Harrell, as well as several non-guaranteed contracts and a 2018 first round pick that is protected. Needless to say, the Clippers squeezed as much as they possibly could out of this trade. Reports indicate that Paul notified Los Angeles of his interest in playing for the Rockets and the Clippers didn’t hesitate to capitalize on the situation. Overall, they get an A on this trade.
Both Beverley and Williams are on long-term contracts, and the trade means that now Los Angeles has the right to these players. Their impact in LA should be sizable and NBA betting fans know they’ll be here to stay.
Likewise, Dekker and Harrell are talented young players who don’t heavily penalize the team’s salary cap. While Doc Rivers, the Clippers’ team president and head coach, was never really able to find these types of players to surround Paul, he at the very least has acquired them now.
That alone should have been enough to compensate for the loss of Paul, but Los Angeles was able to get even more value out of the trade. That 1st round draft pick should come in handy down the line, when the team needs specific role filled.
This trade also brings up an interesting question regarding Blake Griffin, the Clippers 2nd star. Will Los Angeles trade him to get more draft picks? Or will they keep Griffin planted in LA? They have plenty of cap room if they side with the latter, but the former might be better off if the Clippers are looking to rebuild.
In Paul’s absence, the online betting odds have the Clippers pegged at +6650 odds of winning next year’s title.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets were able to make it to the conference semi-finals last season, and with Paul in the mix they have now become legitimate title contenders. As aforementioned, Paul is widely considered to be one of the best players in the league, and playing alongside an MVP-caliber player should offer some interesting highlight reels.
Some NBA betting players are skeptical about how Paul will fit into Coach Mike D’Antoni’s system, but longtime bettors are confident that the spacing D’Antoni’s system provides should leave enough room for Paul to shine. At the very least, Houston has now acquired a secondary ball-handler that should be a great compliment for Harden’s offense. Oh, and Paul’s defense isn’t half bad either.
