2026 NBA title odds after Thunder win, Tyrese Haliburton injury, Kevin Durant trade
The post 2026 NBA title odds after Thunder win, Tyrese Haliburton injury, Kevin Durant trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won their first NBA championship since their introduction to the league in the 2008-09 season by defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals at home Sunday night. But Oklahoma City raising the Larry O'Brien Trophy was hardly the only big news to come out of the league on the same day — or even in the same game — which has seemingly impacted NBA championship odds for the 2025-26 campaign.
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Before Game 7 ended with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company on top of the NBA world, Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with an apparent Achilles injury. It's a serious issue that could potentially force him to miss at least the early goings of the 2025-26 season when the Pacers will look to defend their Eastern Conference crown.
Over at ESPN BET, the Thunder have the shortest odds to win the 2026 NBA title with +220, as noted by David Purdum of ESPN. The Cleveland Cavaliers, meanwhile, have the next-lowest price at +800 to win the NBA championship.
The Cavs were among the favorites to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2025, especially after their strong regular season in which they won 64 games to top the Eastern Conference standings. But Haliburton and the Pacers stopped Cleveland on its tracks in the second round. Another Pacers playoff victim, the New York Knicks, follows the Thunder and the Cavs with a +850 label.
Indiana would have likely opened as the second-favorite had it not been for Haliburton's injury, but the team is now 40-1 to win the 2026 title. Before Haliburton's injury, the Pacers were at 10-1.
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Although he did not win the NBA Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, Haliburton's role in the Pacers' remarkable run in the postseason is undeniable. A potential Haliburton absence of significant stretch in the next campaign could hinder Indiana. And even if he returns in time for the following season, there will be questions about his form coming off a serious injury.
Lastly, there was the big trade of Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets, which went down before Game 7 at Paycom Center. That huge development swung the odds for the Rockets from +1800 to 800.
Related: 2025 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Latest intel after Kevin Durant trade shakes up top 10
Related: NBA legend Scottie Pippen drops casual flex with NBA Finals message to Thunder
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