There were some headline-making deals prior to Thursday afternoon’s NBA trade deadline, but do any of them shift the trajectory of the rest of the 2019-20 season?

Perhaps, perhaps not. A few moves, however, may add value to NBA futures bets, and that’s what we really care about.

The most-important trade of the day was sparked by the downtrodden Knicks, who shipped Marcus Morris (19.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg) to the Clippers. Not only is that a nice addition to a Clippers team that’s sitting at No. 2 in the Western Conference, it keeps Morris off the rival Lakers who also wanted to add the versatile forward.

The Heat added a jolt of depth and experience with the trade for Andre Iguodala. Wednesday, the title-contending Rockets sent Clint Capela to the out-of-it Hawks, and Houston acquired forward Robert Covington (13 ppg, 6 rpg) from the Timberwolves.

So what do we make of the NBA betting landscape now? Here are three futures bets I really like after the trade deadline passed on Thursday:

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Heat to Win Eastern Conference (+700)

The Heat are in the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference but just 2.5 games out of second place. Their hopes were bolstered when they acquired former Finals MVP Iguodala from the Grizzlies. His mental toughness alone should help forge a team that’s just 12-13 on the road. Miami is a shiny 22-3 at American Airlines Arena.

Getting past Milwaukee is no easy task, but Miami already beat the Bucks in Milwaukee. It may have been a minor fluke – it was Game 2 of the season, the Bucks blew a 21-point lead in the third quarter and Giannis fouled out. Then again, Jimmy Butler didn’t play. Adding Iguodala and another physical defender in Jae Crowder may be part of a grand vision to contain Giannis, if and when the time comes in the playoffs.

Miami’s odds to win the NBA title are +2000, but asking the Heat to get through the entire East then take care of the West winner is a little too lofty. Check out and compare the latest Eastern Conference odds and then make your bet at Unibet.

Nuggets to Win NBA Title (+2500)

The Nuggets are just a half-game out of the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference behind the Clippers, but you wouldn’t know it based on coverage. The Nuggets are legit contenders but being treated as “fringe” by sportsbooks that make them a value pick.

They have a star in Nikola Jokic – he had 30 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists against top-rival Utah in the second game of a back-to-back Wednesday. They have a solid No. 2 option in Jamal Murray (he had 31 vs. the Jazz). And they have depth: Nine players finished in double figures and all of them hit 3’s in a win over Milwaukee last Friday, a feat that had never before happened in NBA history. And they added more depth as part of the four-team trade.

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Not only have they beaten the Bucks, they’ve been successful against the other top teams in the West, compiling a 6-3 mark against the Lakers, Clippers, Rockets and Jazz. If any team posted at +2000 or higher has shown the ability to go all the way, it’s Denver, so check out the latest NBA title odds before heading over to PointsBet to get Denver at +2500.

Bucks to Win NBA Title (+300)

The Clippers and Lakers are hammering each other in the West. My sleeper team in the NBA also resides in the West – see above.

All the while, the Bucks are rampaging the East. They stayed pat on trade deadline day, and that’s probably for the better, at 43-7 on the season, 6.5 games ahead of anyone in the East and with the inside track at homecourt advantage through the Finals.

RELATED: Are Sportsbooks Underpricing the Milwaukee Bucks?

Milwaukee is 26-3 against the rest of the East and it would take a massive effort or massive injury to knock it out of a seven-game series.

The Bucks are -134 to win the East, giving us little value there, but having them at +300 via 888sports going into the championship round against whatever team survives the West could pay off nicely.