Kevin Durant's Potential Return from Injury Impacting Nets' 2020 NBA Title Odds

The potential for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to return to the court this summer is influencing Las Vegas oddsmakers' view of the Brooklyn Nets.

The NBA is set to return after approving a 22-team format Thursday, with games likely to start on July 31. Though the Nets are currently the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, they currently have 60-1 odds to win this year's championship, per Caesars Palace. 

According to Doug Kezirian of ESPN, the Nets' odds were as high as 750-1 when both Durant and Irving were ruled out for the season. But with the season suspended for more than four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, each player has a chance to return from his injury.

"I would rather be cautious and deal 60-1 than get hurt when we hear news [of Durant and Irving returning]. I don't want to post 150-1 odds, and the problem is you take a bet of a couple thousand and it pays $300,000 and you're stuck if [Durant is] good," Caesars director of trading Jeff Davis told Kezirian.

The Indiana Pacers are currently tied for the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference but are listed at 125-1 to win the title. The No. 8 seed Orlando Magic are currently 750-1.

The difference with the Nets is their potential at full strength.

Durant has been out all year after suffering a torn Achilles last year in the 2019 NBA Finals. Irving played only 20 games this season while dealing with a shoulder injury.

It's unknown whether either will return for the NBA's restart, but Durant was reportedly competing in five-on-five scrimmages in March, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. He will be more than a year removed from his injury by the time play begins.

If healthy, Durant is a true difference-maker with 10 All-Star selections and two Finals MVP awards. Irving, who has six All-Star selections, would also give the Nets a major boost.

The potential of their return helped make the Nets the second-most picked teams in future bets since the season was suspended, trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers, per Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.