NBA Betting Landscape Starts To Change With Drew Gooden Signing

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, and Joe Johnson. Those are just some of the names that were expected to receive headlines on the first day of free agency. It is true, they all received attention, but it was Drew Gooden who became the first signed free agent.

Gooden signed with the Milwaukee Bucks early Thursday morning, and in doing so, he began the inevitable shuffling of the NBA betting odds for next season. Gooden is a player that will help an already improved Bucks team, and Milwaukee may not be stopping at the addition of Gooden.

John Salmons opted out of his contract with Milwaukee to become a free agent, and many assumed that would be the end of his stay in Wisconsin. Sources, however, claim that Salmons is close to a deal with the Bucks that would bring the star guard back. When he arrived in Milwaukee last season in a trade from the Bulls, Salmons sparked a second half resurgence.

Already this off season, the Bucks have traded for a true scorer in Corey Maggette. With Gooden, Maggette, and possibly Salmons, the Bucks could quietly find themselves among the the top teams in the East when next season begins.

As for the other teams in the East, many spent Thursday showing LeBron and D-Wade their business models. Wade is expected to re-sign with Miami, and plenty of analysts believe that James will stay in Cleveland, but that did not stop teams from rolling out the red carpet for both Wade and James.

Bosh, Pierce, Ray Allen, and several other key players are waiting to see what happens to James before they make their move. Johnson is reportedly having a second meeting of the day with the Hawks, and signs point towards him signing a new deal with Atlanta.

July 1, 2010
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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