Knicks' 2025 NBA Finals odds after blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns
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The New York Knicks pulled off a blockbuster trade that brings in Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo (among others). This signals that the Knicks believe that the team they have is a legitimate title contender, with Towns perhaps being the final piece of their championship puzzle. But how has Towns’ arrival changed the Knicks’ championship odds, at least according to FanDuel?
Towns did improve the Knicks’ title odds on FanDuel, but not by much. Their odds to win the 2025 NBA championship moved from +900 to +750, but they remain the third-most likely team to win the title according to the betting platform, behind the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder (+700) and the Boston Celtics (+320).
Rounding out the top five championship favorites are the Philadelphia 76ers (+1000), and, interestingly enough, the Minnesota Timberwolves (+1000).
Rarely do trades occur between two championship-caliber teams, but an impending financial crunch forced the Timberwolves’ hands — much to the Knicks’ benefit.
There wasn’t much movement in the Knicks’ odds because they were already one of the best teams in the NBA prior to their blockbuster trade for Towns. The addition of Mikal Bridges has given them perhaps the most fearsome 3-and-D wing duo in the entire association (alongside OG Anunoby), and Jalen Brunson has proven that he can deliver in the grandest stage.
The Knicks’ depth, however, takes a hit in the aftermath of the Towns trade. Randle and DiVincenzo may not possess the upside that Towns has, but the two would have been shoo-ins for the Knicks’ playoff rotation had the team kept them. New York will have to rely on a shortened rotation in the playoffs, although that is nothing new for a Tom Thibodeau-coached team.
Regardless, it’s understandable that the Celtics and Thunder have better odds to win the championship than the Knicks do as training camp nears.
Knicks compete with Celtics and Thunder as the biggest powerhouses in the NBA
The Celtics were always going to enter the 2024-25 season as the title favorites, even with the long-term injury to Kristaps Porzingis. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both in their primes, and they are only getting better. Head coach Joe Mazzulla is not allowing his team to let their guard down as well, which makes them very suited to put up a title defense befitting of a champion. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are two of the best guards to have in a supporting role for any contending team.
Meanwhile, the Thunder could soon overtake the Celtics as the title favorites. At present, they have not earned yet the benefit of the doubt that the Celtics have; they exited last year’s playoffs in the second-round after all. But their offseason additions have arguably made them the team to beat. Isaiah Hartenstein patches up the Thunder’s biggest weakness (rebounding), while Alex Caruso gives the Thunder a defensive duo (him and Luguentz Dort) that could rival that of the Knicks’.
Nonetheless, the Knicks are very much deserving of their status as a top-three team in the league. Their starting five will be virtually impossible to stop offensively, with Karl-Anthony Towns now providing elite spacing at the five. Brunson and Towns will be flanked by very capable shooters and defenders in Bridges, Anunoby, and Josh Hart, and they will play as many minutes as Tom Thibodeau gives them, which will make them a rather difficult team to eliminate come playoff time, health permitting of course.
The post Knicks’ 2025 NBA Finals odds after blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns appeared first on ClutchPoints.
