Sports
76ers' NBA title odds soar, Celtics' plummet with Jaylen Brown trade
76ers center Joel Embiid and Celtics guard Jaylen Brown following a playoff game on May 2, 2026. The Boston Celtics’ trade of star Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers is the latest offseason blockbuster to send sportsbooks scrambling to adjust their NBA futures.
The Celtics were in the mix to land Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks late last month, but when the Greek Freak landed in Miami instead, the Heat’s odds of winning the 2026-27 NBA title shortened from +3000 to +1800. With the Celtics deciding to hold onto Brown at the time, their odds held steady at +650 at BetMGM.
That all changed after news broke Wednesday that Boston reversed course and traded Brown to division rival Philadelphia in exchange for aging veteran Paul George and a package of draft picks. The Celtics’ title odds immediately plummeted to +1400 while their odds of winning the Eastern Conference went from +260 to +450.
Conversely, the 76ers went from +6600 long shots to win the title next season to +2000 after acquiring Brown. BetMGM reported that 35% of all bets and 40% of all money wagered on next year’s champion has backed Philadelphia since the trade.
The 76ers also went from +2000 to +700 to win the Eastern Conference, with 54% of the bets and 68% of the money backing them. The reigning champion New York Knicks are the Eastern Conference favorites at +325, followed by the Celtics at +450 and then the 76ers ahead of the Detroit Pistons at +750.
The Los Angeles Lakers also made a flurry of moves Tuesday, led by the acquisition of center Walker Kessler from Utah. Los Angeles went from +4000 to +3000 to win the NBA title and from +2200 to +1600 to win the Western Conference, where they remain behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio at +150, Minnesota at +1200 and Denver at +1300.
Another significant shift saw the Toronto Raptors’ title odds shorten all the way to +2200 by agreeing to a deal earlier this week that will bring Kawhi Leonard back to the franchise.
2026-27 NBA TITLE ODDS*
Team | Opening Odds | Last Week | Wednesday | Current
Oklahoma City Thunder (+260), (+260), (+260), (+260)
San Antonio Spurs (+270), (+260), (+260), (+260)
New York Knicks (+700), (+750), (+800), (+900)
Boston Celtics (+700), (+650), (+700), (+1400)
Philadelphia 76ers (+6000), (+6000), (+6600), (+2000)
Toronto Raptors (+15000), (+12500), (+2200), (+2200)
Miami Heat (+3500), (+1800), (+2200), (+2500)
Detroit Pistons (+3300), (+2500), (+2500), (+2500)
Denver Nuggets (+2000), (+2500), (+2500), (+2500)
Minnesota Timberwolves (+2500), (+3000), (+2200), (+2500)
Golden State Warriors (+6600), (+6000), (+3000), (+3000)
Cleveland Cavaliers (+3300), (+4000), (+3000), (+3000)
Los Angeles Lakers (+2500), (+2500), (+4000), (+3000)
Indiana Pacers (+3000), (+4000), (+4000), (+4000)
Houston Rockets (+6600), (+6000), (+6000), (+6000)
Atlanta Hawks (+10000), (+8000), (+8000), (+8000)
Portland Trail Blazers (+8000), (+10000), (+8000), (+8000)
Orlando Magic, (+5000), (+8000), (+8000), (+8000)
Charlotte Hornets (+10000), (+8000), (+12500), (+12500)
Dallas Mavericks (+8000), (+15000), (+20000), (+20000)
Utah Jazz (+15000), (+25000), (+15000), (+20000)
Washington Wizards (+15000), (+20000), (+20000), (+20000)
Milwaukee Bucks (+25000), (+30000), (+50000), (+50000)
Chicago Bulls (+75000), (+75000), (+75000), (+75000)
Brooklyn Nets (+100000), (+50000), (+75000), (+75000)
Phoenix Suns (+8000), (+15000), (+12500), (+12500)
Los Angeles Clippers (+6600), (+10000), (+20000), (+50000)
New Orleans Pelicans (+25000), (+50000), (+50000), (+50000)
Memphis Grizzlies (+50000), (+50000), (+75000), (+75000)
Sacramento Kings (+75000), (+75000), (+100000), (+100000)
The next big seismic move in the NBA futures is likely to come with LeBron James’ decision on where he will play next season.
The Warriors have been backed by the most title bets (15.7%) and money (12.5%) following reports that James might be considering linking up with Stephen Curry in Golden State. However, several teams are reportedly in the running for James, with the other two most popular title futures backing the 76ers at 8.8% and 9.4%, respectively, and the Cleveland Cavaliers with 6.8% and 8.9% of the action.
While the book reported the Warriors being backed by the highest percentage of total title bets, the Thunder remain supported by the most total money at 32.0%.
–Field Level Media
Sports
CF Montreal acquire M Dani Pereira from Austin FC
Nov 2, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Austin FC midfielder Dani Pereira (8) celebrates a goal during the first half against LAFC at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images CF Montreal acquired veteran midfielder Dani Pereira from Austin FC on Thursday in exchange for up to $2.35 million in general allocation money.
The 25-year-old Venezuelan joined Austin as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft and recorded six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions. He ranks third in matches and tied for second in assists in franchise history.
“Dani has meant a great deal to this club since joining as its first-ever draft pick,” Austin interim coach Davy Arnaud said. “He represented Austin with pride and established a genuine connection with the community here. We’re proud of his development over the last six years and we wish Dani nothing but success in this next phase of his career.
“This type of decision is always difficult for both the club and the player. While emotionally we are sad to see him go, coming into the season, we knew we would only let go of a player of Dani’s caliber if doing so positioned the club for even greater long-term success. I, and our ownership team, felt that this move met that threshold and we executed a plan that was established at the start of the season.”
Austin will receive $1.4 million in 2026, $700,000 in 2027 and up to $250,000 in conditional GAM. Austin also retains a sell-on percentage for any future transfer.
“I want to say thank you to everyone that has been part of this journey here in Austin in the last six years: all the teammates that I’ve shared the locker room with, the coaching staffs, everyone in the front office, and the owners,” Pereira said. “Everyone helped make me who I am today. Austin FC as a whole changed the life of a kid from Caracas, and I will always be grateful for it.
“I want to share a special thank you to the fans for their unconditional love toward me and my family. You guys welcomed us to Austin with open arms since the first moment I got drafted. You all are the best in the league and please don’t ever change that. Thank you and I’m going to miss the 512.”
Pereira, who played collegiate soccer at Virginia Tech, has earned 10 caps with the Venezuela national team since 2023.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raptors give coach Darko Rajakovic multi-year extension
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reacts against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic agreed to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday.
Terms were not disclosed by the Raptors, who gave general manager Bobby Webster a multi-year extension last month and added executive vice president to his title.
“Darko’s strong development philosophy and commitment to a team-first culture shine through on a daily basis,” Webster said in a statement. “We’ve seen these qualities play out on the court — our team plays hard, plays together, and fights until the end. Darko knows there’s more to be done, and we’re looking forward to seeing the continued growth of this team.”
Toronto finished 46-36 in 2025-26 and ended a three-year playoff drought, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the first round.
Rajakovic, 47, is 101-145 during his three seasons as coach of the Raptors.
“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, but our team knows there is still a lot of work to do, and I am looking forward to continuing to build and win with the Raptors,” Rajakovic said. “We will keep growing, keep working together and stay committed to getting better every day as we reach for our goal of an NBA Championship.”
Rajakovic previously served as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2014-19), Phoenix Suns (2019-20) and Memphis Grizzlies (2020-23).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Avalanche sign F Jaden Schwartz to 3-year contract
Apr 5, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Seattle Kraken center Jaden Schwartz (17) warms up before the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images The Colorado Avalanche signed veteran forward Jaden Schwartz to a three-year contract through 2028-29 on Thursday.
Terms were not disclosed but multiple reports put the total value of the deal at $9.75 million ($3.25 million per season).
Schwartz, 34, won a Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2018-19 and spent the past five seasons with Seattle.
He tallied 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 50 games with the Kraken in 2025-26, missing 32 games with multiple lower-body, upper-body and facial injuries.
Schwartz has amassed 553 points (233 goals, 320 assists) in 861 career games with the Blues (2011-21) and Kraken. He has 64 points (31 goals, 33 assists) in 102 playoff games.
–Field Level Media
CF Montreal acquire M Dani Pereira from Austin FC
Raptors give coach Darko Rajakovic multi-year extension
