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It’s a tough week for South Florida championship merchandise.
2024 heroes?
Are the small pieces set up for repeat?
Our friends at BetMGM released their updated 2024 NBA title odds after the Nuggets won the championship Monday night, and Denver had the best odds of winning back the Larry O’Brien Trophy back. After the Warriors won the title in 2022, the Nuggets are positioned at +1400 to win the championship this season. After they did earlier this week, they’re in the +500 for 2023-24.
It is very easy to say that the winner of this title is more likely to win the next. We’ve just seen them do it, and as long as they don’t have any amazing departures, you can talk about it yourself. But is Denver really set for the foreseeable future?
- Nuggets are an expensive team. Next season alone, $136 million has been earmarked for Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon. The projected cap is currently $134 million, although that could change in the next couple of weeks. Denver also has Kentavious Pope Caldwell and Christian Brown under contract for the next year.
- Denver is only in danger of losing Bruce Brown, who is expected to turn down the player’s $6.8 million option to cash in on a major deal. Although it’s possible that Bobby Portis could pull off and stay at a surprising discount for now. Ish Smith, DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green, Thomas Bryant and Reggie Jackson will all be free agents.
- Overall, the Nuggets have long-term sustainability built into this list due to commitments to their top players. Jokić is under contract for at least another four years. Murray has two, but does anyone expect him to leave the franchise? Porter has four more years, and Gordon has at least two. As long as the Nuggets are willing to spend to keep it together, the core is here.
Ask about their competitors in the West. Perhaps the Lakers have found something with their group, and can add another superstar and provide a proper challenge next season before LeBron James is officially too big. Maybe the Warriors can retool and get back to championship ball. Maybe Phoenix can add two role players to the desert and not count on Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne for heavy minutes in the playoffs.
That’s a lot of May, though. The Nuggets have certainly proven their level of threat to anyone else winning the West, at least next year.
Long term expectations are never as great as we might expect. Miami was looking for a decade of titles with LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It was four years and two titles. Kevin Durant went to Golden State and claimed he ruined basketball forever. It’s been three years. But Denver has a chance to move past that. Who will stop them?
John Hollinger: Bruce Brown is among the best free agent prospects on the market (more free agent content below!)
Watch and listen: Did Nikola Jokic change the game?
The latest from Shams
Will heat cause scattering?
Now that the NBA Finals is over and Miami’s impressive run is over, everyone is wondering what Pat Riley and company will do to try and take that last step to over the hump to give this core group a chance at getting a ring.
Everything I hear leads me to believe they will be shopping for a star player to put him alongside Jimmy Butler and Pam Adebayo.. And to give you a sense of their thinking about what they’ve looked at over the past several months, I’m told they made an offer to the Nets at the trade deadline before Kyrie Irving was traded to Dallas. This gives us the idea that there is a level of understanding among the Heat’s leadership that having an extra piece like that to take the load off Jimmy and Pam, especially during the regular season, could make a huge difference in clearing that last hurdle.
So where does the heat go from here? Are they backing away from Kyrie? They have, of course, been linked to big names like Damian Lillard.
In terms of what they have to offer in the deals, Tyler Herro and three first-round picks will be the basis on which negotiations should center to build the kind of package you would need to get a top player. We will continue to closely monitor this situation as it develops. But we expect Miami to make some kind of great move this summer.
Back to you, Zack.
Celebrate the good times
Now this is how you celebrate
Here are my five favorite social media moments from the Nuggets winning the title:
5. THE JOKIC BROTHERS THROWED MICHAEL MALONE IN THE AIR.
4. Aaron Gordon is still on his short cut hours after winning. No pockets, but he probably doesn’t have to pay.
3. Rudy Gobert’s veiled shot of Jazz and his mates congratulating Denver.
2. Trae Young was roasted on Twitter for saying, “We’re next.”
1. Joki makes out with Murray in the pond.
More about Miami
Has the temperature reached its ceiling?
The Heat are tied for 10th in 2024 title odds. The Heat, who smashed the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and second-seeded Boston Celtics on their way to their second NBA Finals in four years, have the same title odds as a Memphis team that could miss out on MVP. for much of the season. This is very disrespectful to heat and what they can do, but what else is new?
The Heat have some questions waiting for them this summer. Erik Spoelstra is an expert at extracting every bit of potential from his lists. While the Heat struggled with hitting runs during the season and barely shone in the Play-In tournament, they played to their maximum potential in the postseason.
By the time the NBA Finals came around, they didn’t have much.
These are the questions I have about moving forward with the Miami listing:
- Did Jimmy Butler run out of gas in the Finals, and can the Heat count on him to stay healthy? He missed 78 games in four years with Miami. They owe him $146 million over the next three seasons if he picks the $52 million player option. He turns 34 in September.
- Do they have the assets to go after a superstar? Everyone turns their attention to Damian Lillard in Portland. Miami could offer multiple first-round picks and Tyler Hero as a starter for the trade package, assuming Bam Adebayo is off the table.
- Is Bam Adebayo reliable in the qualifiers? Ignore the numbers. He played well, but was very weak and inconsistent in attack at long runs.Are they re-signing their newest diamond in the rough? Pat Riley made mistakes by re-signing Deon Waiters, Hassan Whiteside and possibly Duncan Robinson as well. Gabe Vincent and Max Strauss are free agents this summer. Can they just find a new Vincent and Strauss? Strousi? What is Strauss plural?
- Would Hiro have made a difference in the finals? This is what Riley has to ask himself about whether he should keep the band together or try to promote with the Heat’s few assets.
Bounce passes
Sam Vecenie breaks down the best prospects in our 2023 NBA Draft guide.
Markus Thompson says welcome to the age of Nikola Jokic.
John Hollinger hits us with the best free agent point guards. And don’t forget the shooting rangers.
Can the Celtics Learn Anything from the Nuggets’ Championship Offense?
Will the upcoming collective bargaining agreement affect the Knicks roster a lot?
Zack Lowe broke the seven-year journey from the Nuggets’ rise to the title.
(Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)