Kyrie Irving Odds: Nets Huge Favorites to Land PG over Lakers, Knicks

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The Brooklyn Nets are the prohibitive favorite to sign Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving during the 2019 NBA free-agent period, according to odds released by Caesars.

The updated odds show the Nets with a clear edge ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks:

The latest outlook from Vegas doesn't come as a surprise.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in early June that "Irving is serious about the Nets" and the interest was mutual. Last week, Marc Stein of the New York Times noted the "Nets strongly believe they are the frontrunners" to land the dynamic guard.

Meanwhile, a return to Boston seems unlikely with the 27-year-old Duke product reportedly making little effort to make contact with the Celtics front office ahead of free agency.

"The strangest part of the Irving situation right now is that it appears he has essentially ghosted on the Celtics," Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe wrote last week. "The people within the organization I have spoken with have made it clear that they have had little, if any, communication with Irving in recent weeks."

So the Nets have emerged as the obvious favorite, and the oddsmakers believe fellow free agent Kevin Durant may join him in Brooklyn:

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Those odds are far less definitive, however, and KD's availability for next season remains uncertain after he suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

So the Nets may win the summer, but moving into title contention could take an additional year.