National Basketball Association

NBA odds: Does D'Angelo Russell improve Lakers' title chances?

Updated Mar. 3, 2023 11:01 a.m. ET

LeBron James now owns the NBA career scoring record.

But will the Los Angeles Lakers reacquiring point guard D'Angelo Russell in a three-team trade Thursday help LeBron earn his fifth NBA championship ring?

Let's dive into the trade from a betting perspective, and whether the move helped Los Angeles' title odds.

Surprise trade sends Kevin Durant to Phoenix Suns

Craig Carton assesses this move from Kevin Durant, and decides what this means for the failed experiment that was the Brooklyn Nets.

RELATED: Blockbuster trades in NBA

Right after the big trade, LAL's title odds shortened from +4000 to +3600. But, FOX Bet Trading Operations Associate Matthew Griffe points out that any momentum the Lakers generated with the Russell trade got overwhelmed by the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade to the Phoenix Suns.

"The trade for D'Angelo Russell we see as more of a lateral move than anything but comes with addition by subtraction in moving on from Russell Westbrook," Griffe said. "The KD trade changes everything however and clearly puts the Lakers as an outside option to compete for the title."

Let's take a closer look at the NBA futures picture after the big trades (all odds via FOX Bet).

NBA TITLE FUTURES

Boston Celtics: +275 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total)
Milwaukee Bucks: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Phoenix Suns: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Denver Nuggets: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Los Angeles Clippers: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Golden State Warriors: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Philadelphia 76ers: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Dallas Mavericks: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Memphis Grizzlies: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Cleveland Cavaliers: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Los Angeles Lakers: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
New Orleans Pelicans: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FUTURES

Phoenix Suns: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Denver Nuggets: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Los Angeles Clippers: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Golden State Warriors: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Dallas Mavericks: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Memphis Grizzlies: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Los Angeles Lakers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
New Orleans Pelicans: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)

*odds as of 2/9/2023

By adding Russell, the Lakers have a new "Big Three" of big man Anthony Davis, James and Russell — all high draft picks (LeBron was No. 1 by Cleveland in 2003, Davis was picked first by New Orleans in 2012 and Russell was the second overall pick in 2015 by the Lakers).

To acquire Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers sent another Russell — Russell Westbrook — and Los Angeles' 2027 first-round pick along with forward Juan Toscano-Anderson and center Damian Jones to the Utah Jazz. The Lakers also receive wings Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from Utah.

Los Angeles made the trade to try and make another playoff run for LeBron, but the team faces a tall task. The Lakers (25-30) are 13th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference and sit four games behind the Dallas Mavericks, who currently hold the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are desperately trying to avoid missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season. The teams who finish sixth through 10th advance to the Play-In Tournament.

Westbrook, the 2017 NBA MVP, never really clicked with LeBron and Davis in his 130 games with Los Angeles.

RW, traded for the fourth time in his eight seasons, is averaging 17.9 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting a career-high 46.5% from the floor.

Russell also is shooting a career-best 39.1% from 3-point range. He's made five or more 3-pointers in six of his past 17 games. And the Lakers traded for power forward Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards last month.

If you're ready to wager on LeBron and the Lakers making the postseason, head over to FOX Bet to get your NBA wagers in now!

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