2020 Nets Championship Odds: Brooklyn Can Still Make Noise while Durant Heals

Brooklyn Nets Betting Storylines

If the Brooklyn Nets could find a time portal, I am pretty sure that they would leap right through it. They massively overhauled their team this offseason, but they won't be able to fully realize the impact of those changes until Kevin Durant is able to play, and that's likely not until next season - or very late in this one at the earliest. The cupboards certainly aren't bare until he gets here, but he is obviously a difference-maker.

The Nets improved from 28 wins and 12th in the conference in 2018 to 42 wins and sixth place last year. They won't make a similarly large leap forward without Durant, but there is room for them to improve even as they stand now - though it's not at all guaranteed.

Brooklyn Nets Additions and Departures

We obviously have to start with the two big additions - two of the bigger in the league in a summer of craziness. The first and biggest was Durant. He was acquired in a sign and trade with the Warriors , and he came with a big price. D'Angelo Russell went back to Golden State in a sign and trade of his own, and Treveon Graham and Shabazz Napier were thrown in as well. The Nets also received a 2020 first-rounder. There isn't a whole lot to debate here - when you can grab one of the two or three best players in the league, you do it. And really the price was a long way from unreasonable. It's not without risk, though. Durant is out with an Achilles injury, and it certainly hasn't been unique to see a guy struggle to be the same player after he comes back from such a setback. Having 80 percent of Durant is still better than 100 percent of most players, but they are still surely hoping that they get more than 80 percent of their biggest superstar. If Durant returns to full strength, he is capable of leading this team to great heights.

The second big addition was point guard Kyrie Irving, who joined as a free agent. He's obviously one of the top point guards in the league, so in that sense he's a no-brainer. But he was a bad apple last year in Boston, and he gets a lot of the blame for how things came off the rails for that team. He needs to be a much better leader than he was - his level of play is a given, but leadership is what will make the difference.

The overhaul didn't stop with those two big names. The team added DeAndre Jordan at center. He can play, but the team has strong young center Jarrett Allen entering his third year, so it seems like a bit of an odd move to add another higher usage center - one who plays a similar game. They traded Allen Crabbe and their first-round pick to Atlanta for Taurean Prince, who took a small step back last year in his third year due as much to injury as anything after a strong sophomore year. At worst, that makes them younger - and there is more upside than that as well. Wilson Chandler was added on a cheap deal, but he's out for the first 25 games of the year on a PED suspension. Other additions include Garrett Temple, Henry Ellenson, and David Nwaba. They were clearly looking more at upside than proven production there, but they were gambles worth taking at reasonable prices.

The last big piece of business was locking up Caris LeVert, who was very good last year when he was healthy, for three years at $54 million - a price that will look like a bargain if he keeps developing as he has throughout his career. If he and Irving can develop chemistry, they could be a deadly duo in the backcourt.

With a second first-round pick, 27th overall, the team selected Florida State center Mfiondu Kabengele. But they traded him right way, shipping him to the Clippers for a 2020 first-rounder and the draft rights to Jaylen Hands, a point guard from UCLA who was the 56th pick. With the 31st pick the team took forward Nicolas Claxton from Georgia, and signed him.

Brooklyn Nets Futures Odds and Trends

Brooklyn Nets Futures Odds

NBA title odds : +2500

Eastern Conference title odds : +800

Atlantic Division title odds: +600

Kyrie Irving MVP Odds : +3300

Season win total: 44.5

Will the Brooklyn Nets make the playoffs: Yes -250, No +210

The Nets were sneaky heroes at the betting window last year, outperforming their record with a nicely profitable 45-37 ATS record. The strong performance did not extend to the totals, though, where they went both under and over exactly 41 times.

Brooklyn Nets Predictions and Futures Odds Picks

The team has plenty of talent. If they can stay healthy, and guys like LeVert, Prince and Joe Harris can find chemistry with Irving, then the upside is here. There are still some bones to pick - they have a whole lot of wings, and two very traditional centers, but lack a stretch four type who really stands out. But the upside is here. This team shot well enough last year and have the potential to be solidly better on that front this year. They could be more dangerous, and harder to slow down because of their depth. They are still a year away from seeing what their potential should be, but they should improve solidly on last year's win total.

Read more articles by Trevor Whenham