December 22 can’t come soon enough as that is the start of the 2020-2021 NBA season. Even with a shorter offseason, the NBA did not fail to disappoint when it came to the trade market. The window is there for quite a few teams and players who want to bounce back from last season.
For those who are following the money line, these three teams could be a solid bet to make the postseason. All three teams missed out on the dance last season and do not have the most favorable odds. This would be the right time to cash in because these teams are going to fly under the radar.
Sacramento Kings
This is one of the safest picks to get your money in hand. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2006. Despite drafting talents like DeMarcus Cousins and trading for Buddy Hield, the team can never quite put it together. However, in 2021, the Kings are going to break their 15-year playoff drought by qualifying for the big dance.
The Kings had one of the best offseasons out of any NBA team. The addition of Hassan Whiteside as a rim protector was a solid one-year deal. The Kings landed a true point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will play solid backup minutes. With a healthy Marvin Bagley III, the Kings will sneak into the No. 8 seed. Currently, the Kings have +475 odds to make the playoffs.
Chicago Bulls
There are many things to know about the Bulls in the last five years. After dancing between rebuilding and reloading, the Bulls have finally seen fans walk away from attending games. The Bulls were a laughing stock last year, which included the Chicago fan base booing upper management when the NBA All-Star Game was holding live telecasts. Jim Boylen became a meme by the end of the season, while John Paxson and Gar Forman were eventually reassigned. The Bulls are hard-capped, so the team is stuck with the same roster.
There are no superstars on this team, but the team has Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, and a healthy Otto Porter Jr. With a new coach in Billy Donovan, the Bulls will surprise everyone and start the rebuild process off with a bang. Currently, the Bulls have +220 odds to make the playoffs.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards own +290 odds even though the team traded for Russell Westbrook. John Wall did not play last season and the Wizards still nearly made the playoffs. With a nine-time All-Star in the mix with Bradley Beal, the Wizards have enough star power to walk through a watered-down Eastern Conference.
The Wizards could play for the seventh or eighth seed with Beal and Westbrook alone. People are down on the Wizards who haven’t made the postseason the last two years, but realistically Beal was the only star the team had. With two stars, this is the best bet you could make right now. With Davis Bertans and Deni Avdija in the fold, the Wizards are going to surprise many teams this season.
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