NBA Offseason Moves 2022: Which Deals Could Impact 2022-23 Futures?

The 2021-22 NBA season officially wrapped up when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games to win this year’s championship. Now that the previous campaign is in the rearview mirror, basketball fans are shifting gears to the upcoming offseason.

Between the 2022 NBA Draft, free agency and likely upcoming trades, this year’s offseason shouldn’t be short of any entertainment. Having said that, any upcoming deals will likely have some sort of impact on future betting odds.

While nothing is official just yet, here’s a look at some potential offseason moves that could affect 2022-23 NBA futures on sportsbooks across the United States.

Can Beal Help the Lakers Win an NBA Title?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Los Angeles Lakers fan or not: the general consensus is that the Russell Westbrook trade absolutely backfired, resulting in the organization failing to qualify for the postseason.

While Westbrook showed signs of brilliance every now and then, the chemistry just wasn’t there between himself, Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Now, it’s looking like the Lakers could have their eyes on another veteran guard: the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal.

NBA insider Kevin O’Connor reported over the weekend that the Lakers are interested in trading for Beal, who has a $36.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season. O’Connor added that the Lakers are trying to include Westbrook, as well as 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, as part of a potential sign-and-trade deal.

Report: Lakers interested in acquiring Bradley Beal https://t.co/VnZw6PSZsX

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 18, 2022

One of the Lakers’ main issues last season was perimeter shooting. Bringing in someone proven like Beal could easily solve that. The 28-year-old veteran has been one of the best scorers in recent years, averaging 29.0 points and 2.3 three-pointers made per game while shooting .466/.341/.860 over the last three seasons.

Although they failed to meet expectations last year, bringing in Beal would instantly make the Lakers a title threat for the 2022-23 NBA season. Assuming that LeBron and Davis can stay healthy, there’s no reason to doubt them.

Nevertheless, a deal could be tough to pull off. The Lakers would really need to sell the Wizards on taking Westbrook’s contract, plus other teams might have better draft assets than what they could offer.

Still, it’s an interesting hypothetical scenario that could surely improve the Lakers’ 2022-23 NBA Championship odds from the +2600 (No. 12) they sit at now on BetOnline Sportsbook.

Hawks Allegedly Have Eyes on Gobert

The Atlanta Hawks had a lot of hype surrounding them after a trip to the 2020-21 Eastern Conference Finals. Much to their dismay, they couldn’t get to that level this postseason, losing in five games to the Miami Heat in a first-round matchup.

The Hawks are hoping for a better performance during the 2022-23 NBA season, which is why they reportedly have their sights set on Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer recently reported that if the Hawks target Gobert, power forward John Collins is one player that they could move. The 24-year-old is coming off a down year that saw him average 16.2 PTS/7.8 REB/1.8 AST in 54 regular-season games.

Other assets that Atlanta could potentially move are veteran center Clint Capela and the No. 16 pick at the 2022 NBA Draft. Either way, it’s going to take a haul to acquire Gobert, who has three years remaining on his deal.

The price will be worth it if it means adding someone of Gobert’s talents. The French center has been named Defensive Player of the Year in three of the last five seasons, becoming one of only four players in league history to win the away that many times.

Furthermore, he’s coming off a campaign that saw him lead the NBA in field-goal percentage (71.3%) and rebounds (14.7) while averaging 2.1 blocks per game. Considering that the Hawks averaged just 51.2 rebounds (No. 22) and allowed 112.0 points per game (T-No. 18), it’s easy to see how they could use someone of Gobert’s talents.

The Hawks currently have the 18th-best 2022-23 NBA Championship odds on BetOnline Sportsbook, but that could quickly change if Gobert is added to the frontcourt.

Is Brunson New York-bound?

The 2021-22 NBA season was filled with feel-good stories, including the breakout performance by Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson.

The former Villanova product averaged career highs in points (16.3), rebounds (3.9) and assists (4.8) while shooting .502/.373/.840 in 79 games with the Mavericks. He’s now set to become a free agent this offseason and will likely demand a major pay increase.

While it’s entirely possible that he remains in Dallas, several rumors point to the New York Knicks as a potential destination for the 25-year-old.

For starters, the Knicks hired Brunson’s dad, Rick, as an assistant coach earlier this month. Some players would never want to play for their father, but others might be interested in the once-in-a-lifetime possibility.

While the Knicks don’t exactly have the cap space to sign Brunson at the moment, they can try to move players like Alec Burks and Kemba Walker to free up the space. With how inspiring New York’s backcourt was last year, making those moves to free up space for Brunson is a no-brainer.

Can Brunson turn the Knicks into a contender? Probably not, but his presence should help them at least make the playoffs, which they failed to do last season.

The Knicks are available at +13000 (No. 21) to win the next NBA Championship on BetOnline Sportsbook, which isn’t ideal, but signing Brunson would certainly help increase those odds.