Whether you were cheering for the soldiers or the Cavaliers, the 2016 NBA Finals left you in awe. Confetti will fly over Cleveland for the primary time in additional than 50 years, but while Cavs fans rejoice oddsmakers offshore and in Nevada are busy looking forward to next season.

Odds for the 2016-17 NBA title has been at the board since May, and in that point there was some tinkering with the futures prices. The arena champion Cavaliers (still feels funny to type…) are steady at 5/2 while the scorned Warriors moved from 3/2 to 2/1.

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The hottest play among early-bird NBA bettors are the Thunder, which jumped from 8/1 to 7/1 after knocking off the Spurs (13/2) and status toe-to-toe with Golden State within the Western Conference finals. 

Oklahoma City comes with a large question mark, though. A 6-foot-9, 240-pound question mark that averages around 28 points per game. Thunder forward Kevin Durant is the belle of the free agent ball this offseason – given LeBron James re-ups with Cleveland - and will drastically shift the 2016-17 NBA futures if he decides to bail on OKC.

But betting front runners isn't any fun. Anyone can predict that. Let’s swing big in case we hit it. And with Durant’s future in mind, listed here are three live long shots to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy next June:

Boston Celtics (Opened 20/1, Currently 20/1)

Are the Celtics that good or is the East just that bad? Boston made leaps and boundaries in 2015-16, finishing third within the Eastern Conference – be it third behind Cleveland and Toronto (25/1). The Celtics are at the KD radar, that is why we’re giving them a nod over the Raptors (who will have been Durant’s favorite team growing up, but c’mon. He’s not crossing the border). 

Even without Durant, Boston could make some noise by landing an exceptional free agent class and bolstering a deep roster with three first-round picks (and five second rounders) within the upcoming NBA Draft. The Celtics have solid coaching in place with Brad Stevens and young budding talent. The entire C’s need now's a superstar to take them over the top. 

Washington Wizards (Opened 100/1, Currently 100/1)

The Wizards was luring KD with the hometown pride card for the past two years, with Durant hailing from the nation’s capital. And while it will not have had much impact before the NBA Finals, watching LeBron bring a hoop to Cleveland may fire up some new feelings in Durant. It also doesn’t hurt that his old OKC coach Scott Brooks is now at the sidelines in D.C.

Even if KD snubs the Wiz, Washington has quite a lot of cap room to make it rain in this year’s free agents. The Wizards need some assistance on the defensive end and adding some quality components via free agency is paramount, since they don’t have a pick on this year’s draft. Bradley Beal’s new contract continues to be up within the air but if healthy, he and John Wall are among the best backcourt combos within the league. Complementing them with some toughness inside is solely what the Wizards need. Well, that and Kevin Durant. 

Memphis Grizzlies (Opened 80/1, Currently 80/1)

Oklahoma City isn’t the one franchise biting its nails with regards to losing a celebrity to free agency. Memphis is hoping to re-sign point guard Mike Conley this summer, and doing so could put the Grizzlies back within the mix within the West. Before losing center Marc Gasol to injury, Memphis was a playoff team at 30-19 and appeared to be picking up steam. Then, the massive bearded one went down (in conjunction with a slew of ailments up and down the roster) and the Grizz hit the skids, finishing 12-21 without Gasol, including only one win of their last 14 games. 

Given Conley returns and Memphis boosts its swing positions with names like Harrison Barnes or Chandler Parsons, the Grizzlies may be able to rough up the remainder of the West. And if Conley has run his course in Music City, perhaps the franchise decides to chop its losses and burn the entire thing right down to the bottom with some big-name trades. It’s all or nothing with this live long shot.

Read More... [Source: Covers.com: NBA News and Stories]