Warriors, Cavaliers Open as Favorites in 2018 NBA Title Odds

The 2016-17 NBA season just ended, and already bookmakers in Las Vegas are looking ahead to next year.

According to OddsShark, the NBA champion Golden State Warriors are the odds-on favorites (2-3) to win again in 2017-18, while the runner-up Cleveland Cavaliers are second with 3-1 odds.

The Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, are tied for third with 12-1 odds.

The fact the Warriors and Cavaliers are favored to meet in the NBA Finals for a fourth year in a row comes as little surprise.

Golden State is by far the best team in the league—with Kevin Durant taking an already great team and making it historically significant with a 16-1 record in the postseason. Cleveland, meanwhile, is head and shoulders above the rest of the Eastern Conference.

Things could look slightly different by the start of next season, however.

The Celtics have the first overall pick in the 2017 draft and enough cap space to sign a marquee free agent. Also, the Spurs would add an important piece to their backcourt if they landed Chris Paul. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported June 2 that Paul will consider joining San Antonio.

At the very least, the Celtics and Spurs could make their respective conferences more competitive with major upgrades to their rosters this summer.