Warriors Betting Odds to Win 2018-19 Title Soar After DeMarcus Cousins Signing

The Golden State Warriors were already the favorite to win the 2018-19 NBA title. But after agreeing to a one-year, $5.3 million deal with DeMarcus Cousins, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Warriors understandably jumped far ahead of the pack in the odds department.

OddsShark shared the latest NBA championship odds:

Ben Fawkes of ESPN later shared that the odds had already been adjusted again for the Warriors:

In Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, the Warriors had arguably already accumulated the most talented starting lineup in NBA history. And then they added one of the most talented centers in the NBA to that group? Really?

Sometimes, life isn't fair. Even the league's players were trying to figure out what had happened when the news broke:

Here's what the Warriors added: A center who averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season with the New Orleans Pelicans while shooting 35.4 percent from deep. In most summers, the Warriors would never have been able to afford the four-time All-Star and two-time second-team All-NBA selection, let alone use a mid-level exception to bring him aboard.

But Cousins tore his left Achilles tendon in January, and it remains unclear when he'll play this season. For that reason, the market didn't develop for Cousins in the way it might have in past seasons.

According to Wojnarowski, "The free-agent market dried up on Cousins, who struggled to find a team willing to give him a long-term contract at the kind of max-level salary that he would've received prior to the injury."

That opened the door for the two-time defending champions, who not only can afford to be patient with Cousins while he recovers, but also could counterbalance a low monetary offer with the chance for Cousins to win a title.

There's the rich getting richer, and then there's this. Frankly, it's all just a bit absurd.