NBA futures odds could change June 24 with return-to-play deadline for players
NBA fans should learn on June 24 which players will not be heading to Orlando for the season restart.
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The National Basketball Players' Association sent out a memo to players Tuesday outlining everything that entails the NBA's restart in the bubble campus of Disney World in Orlando. One interesting item was that teams were assigned to hotels by their record. The better a team's record, the better its hotel (three of them overall, with the top clubs staying at the Grand Destino). That's one way to replace home-court advantage! However, from an NBA betting standpoint the biggest item was a deadline of June 24 for any players to opt-out of going to Orlando.
The likes of Kyrie Irving, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard have questioned whether the players should participate in the restart not because of coronavirus-related concerns primarily but how it might affect the Black Lives Matter movement.
The NBA has agreed to not "punish" any player who chooses to not participate in the restart for whatever reason. However, any players who do so will have "compensation reduced by 1/92.6 for each game missed up to a cap of 14 games" unless excused by a doctor due to high risk of coronavirus. The deadline for players to inform the league of their decision to opt-out is next Wednesday.
Why such an early date when the season isn't set to resume until July 30? Because teams will do mandatory coronavirus testing of players starting next week – a nasal or oral swab, plus a blood antibody test -- and players will be asked to self-quarantine at home. There's no point of testing guys who aren't going to Orlando.
Needless to say, any key players choosing not to go to Florida – although it's not yet clear if the league will make that list available to the public immediately; it undoubtedly will leak out – would affect the NBA futures odds at William Hill sportsbook.
The Lakers are +240 title favorites, and potentially losing Bradley and Howard likely would knock them from the favored spot (depending on if the Bucks, who are +260, lose anyone important) as both are important role players on a very thin roster. No true star has yet spoken out about not playing in Orlando -- Irving's absence won't affect the Nets' long-shot odds because he and Kevin Durant already had been ruled out for the season due to injury rehab.
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