Odds makers are not buying that the Miami Heat are ready to contend with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference, despite trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Miami has been rumored to have interest in Giannis for years out of desperation to return to NBA Championship contention. Jimmy Butler did lead the Heat to two NBA Finals, but they have not won a title since 2013.
Betting sites, probability numbers, and other metrics are showing that Miami is not considered a title contender to the general public yet. Fanduel listed the following odds to win the Eastern Conference after the big trade:
Boston Celtics: +220
New York Knicks: +270
Miami Heat: +650
Detroit Pistons: +800
Indiana Pacers: +1400
Cleveland Cavaliers: +1400
The odds for most sites are quite similar to confirm that the Celtics and Knicks are still considered the clear favorites in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have a lot of consistent success in recent memory and won two of the last three NBA Championships.
Acquiring Giannis did help Miami jump over the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers to be called the third best team in the East. Oddsmakers expect the Heat to be a respected third team, with an outside shot to advance past New York or Boston in 2027.
Miami Heat Must Make More Moves
The biggest takeaway from this is that people don’t believe in the Heat to win the Eastern Conference and make the NBA Finals solely because they added Giannis. Important players like Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and Jaime Jaquez being traded for the superstar already weakens the depth.
Miami currently has Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and Davion Mitchell as the core pieces. More talent is desperately needed via free agency or other trades to have a realistic shot at the NBA Finals.
Adding another starting quality player who fits well with Giannis and more bench pieces could see the narrative changing. Pat Riley must round out the roster for people to feel confident picking the Heat over the top Eastern Conference heavy hitters in a “best of seven” series.
Knicks & Celtics Still Deserve More Respect
The other reason for the low Miami betting odds is that the other teams are just better on paper. New York deserves respect for having an all-time great NBA Championship run and will be thirsty for more success after reaching their most relevant run since the 1970s.
Boston had a tough elimination this season in the first round and could run into issues with Jaylen Brown potentially unhappy about being in trade rumors. However, the tandem Jayson Tatum and Brown have led the Celtics to title contention for most seasons in recent memory.
Miami must prove they have more than a great new superstar to get on that tier. Giannis certainly helps, but the rest of the team’s offseason will determine their success. Riley will look to add trusted veterans for depth to make up the gap against New York and Boston.
Heat Get Terrible Eastern Conference Update After Giannis Trade