We may be in the heart of summer, but basketball fans couldn’t be happier right now. That’s because the summer league action continues to heat up, with Sin City being the heart of play right now. As you might have been able to guess, NBA bets on the rise thanks to Vegas Summer League happen to be the case, as people aren’t wasting any time in getting their wagers in.
What really makes this part of the year special is that NBA rookies are stealing the show at the Summer League. Following the recent NBA Draft, people have been waiting to see what some of the top picks will be able to do. Thus far, Oklahoma City big man Chet Holmgren, who was taken with the No. 2 overall pick, has put on quite the show now that he’s suiting up for the Thunder.
In his debut with the team, Holmgren scored 23 points, with 18 coming in the first half. He was spectacular for OKC and people were showing him plenty of love on social media. That’s not a stunner, as he really looked strong. Holmgren is still a youngster, but he looked like a true veteran out there. He knows he has the potential to be a star for this team.
“It’s a great organization,” Holmgren said shortly after he got drafted by Oklahoma City in the 2022 NBA Draft. “They know what they’re doing. They have a proven track record of what they’ve done in the past and they have a vision for what they’re going to do in the future.”
Fans are loving what they’re seeing out of Holmgren thus far and reports state that people are looking at the NBA odds and betting quite often not only on OKC for their Summer League games but also on the over/under for Holmgren’s points totals after checking the best sportsbooks. This is only going to continue in the future. He’s an exciting young talent and people can’t wait to see what he’ll get done in his first year.
Elsewhere, Kevin Durant bets are also pouring in for Las Vegas, as no one knows where he’ll end up playing next season. Per a report, Durant informed the Nets that he wanted to suit up for a new team starting next season. It looks like the Brooklyn experiment didn’t go as planned for Durant, who failed to bring the city home an NBA Finals title.
Several teams have been mentioned as potential suitors, including the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors. With Golden State, it’d be quite the reunion for Durant and the team, as he’d once again be playing with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Durant won a title with the Warriors before he made his way to the Nets.
People are betting on the Warriors getting Durant back in town, but it feels like a long shot that this will go down. With that said, it also feels like Durant won’t be playing for the Nets again. That relationship appears to be ruined, which can also be said for Kyrie Irving. Irving also wants out and he has been linked with a potential move to the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with both of these star players, but Brooklyn is going to have a new-look team next season. No Durant and Irving will hurt their NBA Finals odds, but the fact of the matter is that the two players are ready to continue their careers elsewhere. We should find out soon enough where these two superstars end up.
Last but not least, don’t forget that Vegas is still hopeful of an NBA team for 2024 arriving to the city. This would really be something great to see, as we’re all seeing the success of the Summer League. Basketball fans all over the state of Nevada have been hoping for an NBA team to arrive. Reports continue to swirl that two expansion teams could be coming in 2024.
One would be for Las Vegas, while the other would be headed to Seattle. After the SuperSonics were stolen from the city, people in Seattle have been dreaming of the say that a pro hoops team makes its way home. The days of Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and others will never be forgotten. Come 2024, it feels like the long wait could be over for people in Washington state.
The same can be said for Las Vegas, as folks have always wanted a professional basketball team. With all the success of the NHL and NFL in the city, adding the NBA, and one day the MLB only makes sense. Stay tuned to see what ends up happening here. But sooner than later, a pro basketball team will be coming to Las Vegas and it will be massive for so many different people.
