NBA free agency 2025: Oddsmakers react to major moves — ‘The Rockets h
It’s hard to believe the 2025 NBA Finals ended just more than a week ago, as free agency has been fast and furious, with more player movement than initially expected.
Damian Lillard? Now a free agent after the Milwaukee Bucks waived him using the stretch provision. The Bucks also added free-agent center Myles Turner on a four-year, $107 million contract in an effort to keep superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo happy.
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Kevin Durant? He’s on the Houston Rockets after a blockbuster trade, along with several notable free agents, including Dorian Finney-Smith.
You can keep up with all of the latest moves in free agency here, but we thought it would be prudent to ask oddsmakers what they’ve thought of the deals so far.
“Houston, overall, I thought has been very good,” Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at the Borgata (a BetMGM book) in Atlantic City said. “Atlanta as well. Still waiting to see what happens with Giannis.”
Which teams have improved their NBA title odds in free agency and the draft? Which have gotten noticeably worse?
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Yahoo Sports asked Jeff Sherman, vice president of risk at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook — and its NBA handicapper — about his most improved and least improved teams in free agency. Sherman noted he had three Western Conference teams (Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets) power-rated higher than his first Eastern Conference team (Cavaliers).
Note: Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Four teams that have improved
Houston Rockets
Opening odds: +800 (BetMGM opened 2025-26 title odds after Durant deal)
Current odds: +800
Sherman: “I had opened them at 12-1 when we first got going, anticipating they were going to be aggressive, and they’re currently at +800. Adding Clint Capela, Durant, extending Steven Adams, signing Fred VanVleet, they’ve done nothing but positive things. I’ve always liked the direction under head coach Ime Udoka. They’ve also had the single-most impactful move with the Durant trade. They needed someone to close games, but Durant…
