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Lakers early favorites to win 2021 NBA championship

The Lakers have won the 2020 NBA Finals and are the odds-on favorites to repeat as champs in 2021. We take a look at some of the teams with the best early odds.

 LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game against the Miami Heat during Game Six of the NBA Finals on October 11, 2020 at The AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.  Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA Finals by topping the Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday and it appears like they’re set to compete for another championship next season. DraftKings Sportsbook has released the 2021 title odds, and the Lakers are favored to repeat. Let’s go over some of the teams with the best chances.

The Lakers sit atop the pecking order at +350 and is likely ranked so high because of their superstar duo. LeBron James is under contract for next season and Anthony Davis has a player option. A lot of teams will be in pursuit of Davis, but it’ll be hard to lure him away from a team that’s fresh off a championship run. The Lakers will likely retool by adding more veteran shooting and defending to form another legitimate contender.

The Los Angeles Clippers have the second-best odds at +400. While Doc Rivers has been fired and there are rumors that they’re considering blowing it all up. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will still be the centerpieces of the franchise. Lou Williams remains one of the best bench contributors in the NBA. If the Clippers bring back most of their team, they should remain very competitive in the Western Conference.

The Milwaukee Bucks were shockingly upset by the Miami Heat in their latest playoff run, but have the third-best odds at +500. Reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be a dominant force on both sides of the ball once again and his team is looking to add more talent to help him win as soon as possible.

The Golden State Warriors (+600) and Brooklyn Nets (+900) round out the top five. The Warriors are expected to bounce back year behind the efforts of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. They have a top three pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and could turn their draft capital into fuel for a deep playoff run. The Nets will get to see Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the court next season and saw Caris LeVert take major strides as a scorer and facilitator. They are positioned to be a force in the Eastern Conference immediately.

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