The NBA offseason isn't quite over yet. Wednesday night brought news of the Russell Westbrook-for-John Wall blockbuster trade, and the possibility of a James Harden trade continues to linger as well.
But with less than three weeks until the season starts, most teams have pretty much taken shape at this point.
So how do the Celtics stack up after reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season? Well, according to the oddsmakers, they're a top-five team, but not quite a true championship contender.
Fanduel and Odds Shark also have the Celtics fifth at either +1600 or +1500. Like BetOnline, both have the Lakers favored to repeat, followed by the grouping of the Bucks, Nets and Clippers.
The Celtics' biggest change this offseason has of course been the loss of Gordon Hayward to the Hornets via a sign-and-trade. Their additions have been highlighted by veterans Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague and first-round pick Aaron Nesmith.
The Heat, who defeated Boston in the conference finals this season, actually come in just behind the Celtics after an offseason that saw them mostly stand pat -- with the addition of one former Celtic (Avery Bradley) and the loss of another (Jae Crowder) standing out as their most notable changes.
The Celtics open the season against two of the teams ahead of them, as they host the Bucks in their season-opener on Dec. 23, then the Nets on Christmas Day.
