Teams such as Milwaukee and Philadelphia have gotten off to rough starts in 2024-2025, leading to speculation that star players could get moved before the deadline.
When the 2024-2025 NBA season tipped-off, it was believed that franchises such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers would be near the top of the Eastern Conference ahead of the Playoffs. Surprisingly, both teams are at the bottom of the standings in the conference with a combined record of 2-11, as Joel Embiid has yet to play a game for Philadelphia through six contests.
The biggest headlines Embiid has made since the season began is pushing a local reporter after an altercation occurred in the 76ers locker room. Embiid was rightfully angered by the reporter’s reference to his late brother, along with his four-year old son. While family should never be used in comparison to a player’s performance, athletes are also under constant pressure to restrain themselves or else punishment could follow, and the NBA is currently investigating the situation that took place following the 76er’s loss to Memphis.
Embiid signed a three-year extension with Philadelphia before the season began despite having a lengthy injury history that might scare other franchises off. The 76ers seem to be in “go for it” mode, however, after signing Paul George to a multi-year contract, a player that includes quite the amount of missed time as well. George only just returned for his first game back in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, missing a potential game-winning shot towards the end of regulation. Philadelphia is still only +850 to win the Eastern Conference on FanDuel, ahead of teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers who matched a franchise record by beating the Milwaukee Bucks to start the season with an 8-0 record.
The Cavaliers don’t have quite the same amount of postseason experience as the 76ers roster carries, but there is no real reason to believe Philadelphia is in a better position to win the conference at this moment. Even in the event Embiid is able to return to the court in short order, he has already been quoted to say he won’t be participating in the second half of back-to-back games. With a seven-game win difference between the two squads already, it seems highly unlikely the 76ers would pass Cleveland especially if its star player can’t be active for every matchup. One other confusing factor in Philadelphia’s odds to win the conference are that FanDuel lists the team at +1500 to win its own division, which would obviously be a requirement if it's going to finish with a better record than the other Eastern Conference franchises.
Reigning NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics, are the current favorites to win the Eastern Conference at +125, which was an expected listing after the team brought back all of its core from the previous season. Boston has started the season extremely well much like Cleveland, standing at a record of 7-1 with its only loss coming in overtime against the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics are also the favorite to win the NBA Finals at +250 on FanDuel, which would mark the first back-to-back NBA Champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017-2018. The Oklahoma City Thunder, which has started 7-0 and won each of its games by double digits, are listed at +480. Trade speculation surrounding Embiid hasn’t quite picked up to the point where calls are being made or constant reports are being released, but stars ask out all the time in the NBA and if Embiid is getting frustrated by outside factors, perhaps those could leak into his situation with Philadelphia as well.
Listed well below each of the teams spoken about are the Bucks at +1600, which has started the season with only one victory despite typical great play from its star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak” is averaging 31.0 points per game, 12.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists through seven contests and would be on his way to a possible third Most Valuable Player (MVP) award if it weren’t for his team’s record. The rumor mill for an Antetokounmpo trade has been heating up as of late, as it's already been reported big-market teams such as the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets are keeping tabs on the 2021 Finals MVP.
The Rockets and Nets both have numerous first round picks and young talent it could offer to the Bucks in exchange for the franchise star, but Milwaukee will most likely keep Antetokounmpo and look for ways to improve its current roster. How the team plans on doing so will be an intriguing question over the next few weeks of the season, as Milwuakee has no future draft capital to move or non-Antetokounmpo talent other franchises could have interest in. The answer could lie in raising the minutes players such as Andre Jackson and AJ Green play off the bench, which nearly worked in a tight 116-114 defeat to the Cavaliers on November 4.
Based on FanDuel’s listing of Milwaukee to win the Eastern Conference, the operator seems to believe that the situation for the Bucks will only continue to deteriorate. It still lists the franchise above talented squads like the Pacers, Heat and Hawks, but the long odds don’t offer much confidence that Milwaukee will seriously improve upon its 1-6 record to begin the season. If Giannis is put on the trade block, there would be no shortage of teams that will attempt to find ways to include the superstar as part of its roster.
One option could be the New York Knicks, listed second to win the Eastern Conference at +360 and +750 to win the Finals, and have plenty of assets that could help Milwaukee maintain a competitive roster. Whether it be Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby or Mitchell Robinson, the Bucks could select from a number of salary matching options that could win games with point guard Damian Lillard. With Antetokounmpo on board alongside Jalen Brunson, the Knicks may leapfrog the Celtics as the favored team to win the 2025 NBA Finals, but Boston is seen as a powerhouse in the eyes of many operators.
If the Warriors could find a way to pair Antetokounmpo with fellow NBA elite Steph Curry, its chances of winning a fifth NBA title in less than a decade would rise immensely. Golden State doesn’t have many draft assets to trade, but carries youthful talent such as Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody that Milwaukee could look to rebuild around. The Warriors are currently +1100 to win the Western Conference and +4000 to win the Finals, but that could mainly be due in part to an injury Curry is sidelined by at the moment.
