Hawks' big offseason has caught NBA oddsmakers' eye
Oddsmakers are pegging the Hawks as one of the NBA offseason's early winners.
After several big moves, Atlanta's NBA title odds have gone from 120/1 to 55/1 at DraftKings Sportsbook, one of the biggest boosts so far this summer.
The Hawks are now being given a realistic shot to win the Eastern Conference (12/1) and being priced as a near shoo-in to make the playoffs.
Last week, the Hawks acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Celtics in a three-team deal with the Nets.
When healthy, Porzingis is one of the best big men in the NBA, averaging 19.8 points and seven rebounds for Boston over the past two seasons, though he dealt with a post-viral syndrome during the Celtics' last playoff run.
At the beginning of free agency, the Hawks also added Timberwolves wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a four-year, $62 million deal, adding to what is now a deep rotation up-and-down their lineup.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker celebrates after a 3-point basket by Donte DiVincenzo during the second half of the Timberwolves' Game 4 playoff loss to the Thunder this past season.
AP
Alexander-Walker shot 38.1 percent from deep last season while playing excellent defense for Minnesota.
Oddsmakers are also likely pricing in some development from their young wings, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson, around point guard Trae Young.
Teams around Atlanta in the East look to be taking a step back as well.
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The Celtics and Pacers will be without superstars Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton for most, if not all, of the season with Achilles tears, while the Bucks just waived Damian Lillard after he suffered an Achilles injury of his own.
Since surprisingly making the East Finals in 2021, the Hawks have been about as average a team as it gets, winning between 43 and 36 games and participating in the play-in tournament in each of the past four seasons.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He's particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
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