Oddsmakers Set Lines for NBA Offseason Landing Spots: George, DeRozan, More

The Highlights

• Bovada is offering odds on offseason landing spots for big free agents and coaches.
• Toronto's roster is expected to remain intact, but with a new head coach.
• Paul George is a large favorite to leave Oklahoma City for the Lakers.

Bovada has posted several prop bets for the upcoming NBA offseason, including free agency odds, trade props and coaching props. Several of them focus on Toronto, which is no surprise considering the Raptors have this postseason bugaboo they can't seem to overcome.

Let's dig in.

What team will DeMar DeRozan play for in Game 1 of the 2018-19 season?

• Raptors: -350
• Any other team: +225

First up on the list is whether or not DeRozan will head for the hills. The star shooting guard is still under contract for a few more years, but could of course be dealt if the Raptors want to shake things up. A recent ESPN article offered a few possible trades, including a DeRozan for Andrew Wiggins straight-up swap.

What team will DeMarcus Cousins play for in Game 1 of the 2018-19 season?

• Pelicans: -200
• Any other team: +150

Boogie, Boogie, Boogie. What are we going to do with you, guy? Unlike DeRozan, Cousins is a free agent this offseason. Coming off such a major injury to his Achilles — one that does not have a great track record for big men in the NBA — the Pelicans are in a tough spot. I'm no GM, but I do think there's a decent chance:

A) Cousins does not get the type of contract he's looking for from NOLA and leaves out of spite
B) Someone else jumps the gun and overpays

I think there will be some bidders at +150 on this prop.

What team will Kyle Lowry play for in Game 1 of the 2018-19 season?

• Raptors: -500
• Any other team: +300

Lowry is in a similar position as DeRozan, but given his lesser value, oddsmakers believe he's more likely to stay put in Canada. Lowry is nearly four years older than DeRozan and still has two more years on his contract. If Toronto wanted to rebuild/blow things up/shuffle up the roster, Lowry would not fetch the same type of assets as DeRozan. And hey, let's not forget there's a good chance the Cavs are LeBron-less next year. The Raptors might end up better than we expected if they don't have to play a good team en route to the finals.

What team will Markelle Fultz play for in Game 1 of the 2018-19 season?

• 76ers: -350
• Any other team: +225

Of all of the props listed, this is the one on which I'm most willing to lay big odds. With Fultz being injured for so much of the season, the 76ers still don't really know what they have with him. Obviously the potential is there, but they'd likely be selling him for pennies on the dollar.

What team will Paul George play for in Game 1 of the 2018-19 season?

• Lakers: -190
• Thunder: +400
• 76ers: +600
• Pacers: +900
• Cavaliers: +900
• Clippers: +900
• Pelicans: +1800
• Knicks: +1800

George has a player option he can exercise this offseason, but the prophecy has foretold that PG13 would head back home to LA when given the chance. With that in mind, the Lakers are big favorites to land the veteran wing. It's going to be such a wacky offseason that it's tough to predict how things will play out. However, much of this revolves around LeBron, and where he decides to go will dictate a lot of other things. I would not feel comfortable laying -190 on this.

What team will Serge Ibaka play for in Game 1 of the 2018-19 season?

• Raptors: -700
• Any other team: +400

Another Raptors player, another prop. Definitely the least interesting of the group, Ibaka is also under contract for two more years. His role seems to keep diminishing, so I won't be surprised if he doesn't want to stay in Toronto, but I'm not sure what the Raptors can bring back for him.

Will Becky Hammon be the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for Game 1 of the 2018-19 NBA season?

• Yes: +325
• No: -550

Outside of player transactions, this could potentially be the biggest story of the offseason … if she is hired, of course. Hammon, who has been an assistant coach for the Spurs, was interviewed by Milwaukee, which is a progressive step in itself. There has never been a female NBA head coach, and Hammon — who is already blazing trails by being the first full-time female assistant coach in any major U.S. professional sport — would be the clear choice to make history given her knowledge of the game. Oddsmakers don't believe it's her time quite yet, but I think it's pretty safe to say that she will get a HC job at some point in the near future.

Will Dwane Casey be the head coach of the Toronto Raptors for Game 1 of the 2018-2019 season?

• Yes: +150
• No: -200

Regular-season Dwane Casey: great. Postseason Dwane Casey against the Cavs: You might as well throw me on the sidelines. Though most of Toronto's star players are expected to stay up north, their coach is expected to get the boot. I can't say with certainty, but I imagine Raptors fans would not be happy if the team returned next season looking exactly the same. Something's gotta give, right?

Top Photo: DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry