NBA analysts and fans have given the Kings good reviews for the offseason moves they’ve made to improve their roster, but one person is betting a small fortune on them to be the best team in the league.
B/R Betting reported Tuesday that someone placed a $10,000 bet at Caesars Sportsbook on the Kings to win the NBA championship next season with a potential $7.5 million payout.
“We have our first HUGE NBA bet for next season …,” br_betting tweeted. “CaesarsSports just took a $10k bet on the SACRAMENTO KINGS TO WIN THE NBA FINALS.”
Some on social media joked it might have been rapper 50 Cent, who sat courtside with Kings owner Vivek Ranadive on Sunday at a Las Vegas Summer League game and was later seen sporting a Kings jersey.
The speculation didn’t end there. One Twitter user suggested someone has “insider knowledge that KD (Kevin Durant) and/or Kyrie (Irving) is on their way to Sacramento!?” Another tweeted: “KD to kings confirmed.” Another replied: “Caesars could send a thank you note for the 10 grand right now.”
The Kings have made major changes after going 30-52 to finish 12th in the Western Conference last season. They hired coach Mike Brown, selected Keegan Murray with the No. 4 pick in the NBA draft, signed free agent Malik Monk and traded for Kevin Huerter.
The franchise is mired in an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought and hasn’t won an NBA championship since 1951, when the Rochester Royals defeated the New York Knicks in seven games, but someone is banking on a historic turnaround.
The 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors were +500 favorites to win the championship in 2023 when Caesars released its odds in June. The Kings, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder were the biggest longshots at +100000.
