The Phoenix Suns managed to be the talk of Thursday’s 2022 NBA Draft, despite not picking a single player during the two-round event.
Much of that talk centered around the future of former No. 1 overall pick, Deandre Ayton, who is a restricted free agent this offseason.
There were rumors that the Suns might try to deal Ayton for a package that would include at least one of the players picked in this year’s draft, though that never came to fruition.
Now, Arizona sportsbooks have set their sights on the 2022-23 NBA regular season, putting Phoenix among the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy next summer.
Here’s what you need to know about the Suns odds stand as of Friday, as well as where a handful of Arizona Wildcats wound up in Thursday’s draft.
2023 NBA Championship Future Odds Top 12
Suns Among NBA Title Favorites in 2023
The Suns’ 2023 NBA betting championship futures remain virtually unchanged after Thursday’s draft.
At BetMGM Arizona, Phoenix remains at +900 to win the 2023 title. The franchise’s Western Conference title odds see them ranked behind the Warriors (+275) and Grizzlies (+375), coming in at +450 overall.
Over at Caesars Sportsbook Arizona, the Suns are listed at +800 to win the franchise’s first title.
FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona has Phoenix at +1000 to win the title (sixth overall) and +480 to capture the West (third overall).
Trio of Arizona Wildcats Picked in 2022 NBA Draft
Three members of last year’s Pac-12 regular season and tournament championship Arizona Wildcats squad heard their names called in Bennedict Mathurin (sixth overall), Dalen Terry (18th overall) and Christian Koloko (33rd overall).
Mathurin became the first Wildcat picked in the lottery since Ayton was selected first overall in 2018, while the Montreal native, Terry, and Koloko became the 79th, 80th, and 81st Wildcats picked in the draft’s history.
The 2022 Pac-12 Player of the Year was picked by Indiana, while Terry was tabbed by Chicago, and Koloko joins Toronto.
Mathurin is currently listed at +1500 to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award on FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona, ranking sixth overall.
No players from Arizona State, Grand Canyon, or Northern Arizona were picked in the draft.
FanDuel Offering New Cash-Out Option at Phoenix Sportsbook
Another bit of news that came out ahead of Thursday’s NBA Draft was FanDuel Sportsbook in downtown Phoenix is now allowing customers to cash out their retail winnings on the operator’s Arizona betting apps.
The “App Ticket Redemption” option allows patrons at the downtown sportsbook to cash winning tickets on their phone and have their winnings deposited into their FanDuel account, allowing them to skip the line, or even the final buzzer.
The maximum redemption allowed under the new FanDuel policy is $2,000.
