As every media reporter has been reiterating, LeBron’s move to the LA Lakers has created a ripple effect all across the league. Kawhi Leonard has set his sights on Los Angeles, none of the Lake show’s young stars are safe, and the Eastern Conference is wide open. The Celtics and the Sixers emerge as the clear front runners, but there are a few other teams who could vie for contention. Surely, the Raptors feel less pressure to force a full rebuild, and other teams will be sure to capitalize on the opportunity to have a clear-cut opportunity at making the finals. Here are the contenders of the East:

The Favorites

Boston Celtics: Boston has achieved a great mix of grooming home-grown talent and picking up pieces along the way. Even without re-signing Marcus Smart, Boston currently features nine players on their roster who should get regular minutes (Irving, Hayward, Horford, Tatum, Morris, Brown, Rozier, Baynes, Williams). This kind of depth mixed with star power poises the Celtics to achieve immense success in both the regular season and the postseason. The Celtics’ postseason success this past season while lacking their two best players only further accentuates the excitement reverberating throughout New England about where this team is headed in the near future. These guys are the favorites to make the finals from the East.

Philadelphia 76ers: So young, yet so promising. Considering the fact that the Sixers refuse to include Fultz in trade talks, my guess is that Philly is confident that the formal first overall pick can make up for lost time. With plenty of cap space to make noise in the offseason, Philly needs to act quickly if they want to add another talent to join the likes of Embiid and Simmons. However, with their entire core locked up through the 2019-2020 season, they’re in no rush to splash cash this offseason, especially with such a talented free agent class expected in a year. Considering their success last year, coupled with their youth, NBA pundits would be doing a disservice if they were not to label the Sixers as the Celtics’ biggest rivals heading into 2018.

Formidable Challengers

Toronto Raptors: In some peoples’ eyes, the Raptors are in great position heading into 2018. All of the players who contributed to their immense regular season success last season are returning, and save for Delon Wright, are locked up for two more years. However, to those who choose to look at their situation with the glass half empty, Toronto has been pigeonholed financially in a way that would only be alleviated by getting rid of a star. They have limited flexibility in terms of free agency and would struggle to change their roster whatsoever. Their main priority needs to be getting rid of Serge Ibaka’s contract, but they could choose to use the opportunity of a LeBron-less East to test their luck with riding out their roster.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards are getting Demarcus Cousins. The Wizards are getting Demarcus Cousins. I’m just going to keep repeating it until it actually happens. The entire NBA needs to remember their 2017 success as a means of understanding that they are one player away from getting out of the East. Otto Porter can make the argument that he is worth every penny that he is getting paid, but not on a team like the Wizards. Porter isn’t a role player per se, but he simply fills out a specific role on the floor; no matter how efficiently this role is carried out, they shouldn’t be paying him this kind of money. If a sign-and-trade for Cousins is carried out by the Wiz and Pelicans, a mutually beneficial agreement can be reached that sends D.C. into full-on contention for the Finals crown. Even without this kind of acquisition, Washington will present a threat to any team on any given night, especially with their backcourt depth.

Indiana Pacers: The reason the Pacers did so well this past season is because of their team chemistry. Each player was asked to fulfill a specific role, and they nailed this to a tee. Indiana will go for bigger-name free agents and will also look to sign players to bargain multi-year deals, but they should hold off on going win-now mode for one more year. The focus will be to continue grooming Oladipo into a bonafide NBA star, and to see that Myles Turner turns into a star in his own right. Indiana will have only five players on their books in 2019 as of now (Oladipo, Sabonis, Leaf, Anigbogu, McDermott), which gives them a ton of flexibility. Look for them to spend big next offseason, but to take the conservative route and still try to contend with their current personnel this upcoming year.

On the Rise:

Milwaukee Bucks: This team likely has the most questions to answer this offseason than any other team on this list. Giannis is locked up, but Bledsoe’s situation is questionable, and Middleton will likely opt out and ask for a payday next offseason. Jabari Parker doesn’t know where he’ll be playing yet, and Milwaukee clearly needs more talent to be where they want to be. The Bucks will continue to shift around their roster, and should be looking for short-term help to drive them over the hump. They’ll have to make some trades, first, in order to clear out some cap space for game-changing players. Dellavedova, Henson, Bledsoe and Snell seem to be the most viable trade candidates.

Detroit Pistons: Detroit is looking to put an end to their mediocrity. Dwane Casey’s hiring clearly shows that the Pistons are looking to head in a new direction, and their dominating frontcourt poises them to get back into the playoffs. They still don’t have enough to be vying for title contention, but with Drummond and Griffin committed until 2021, they have plenty of time to figure it out. The question remains whether they’ll settle for mediocrity in the coming seasons or make some moves to clear out cap space for better players. With plenty of free agency to go, we will see what they choose to do.

Eastern Conference Standings Projections

1. Boston Celtics

Boston’s roster is head and shoulders the most talented pool of players in the East. Given the lack of talent in this conference, they could wind up sending four players to the All-Star game: Tatum, Brown, Irving and Hayward. This would be a significant development, as their only all-star last season was Al Horford, illustrating their depth. Danny Ainge’s move this offseason should be to not move a muscle – unless it is to re-sign his players.

2. Toronto Raptors

I’m not a huge fan of this Raptors team, but given that they demonstrated huge regular season success with the same roster, they should be able to replicate these results to a slightly lower degree. If I’m a member of Toronto’s front office, I would just ride out this roster in hopes that a LeBron-less east means a clear path to the Finals.

3. Washington Wizards

The success that I see the Wizards having is completely predicated on their potential acquisition of Demarcus Cousins. Still, despite having three All-NBA caliber players on the same roster if Boogie were to make a move to DC, it would take some time for him to gel with his new teammates in the capitol. Look for them to have greater postseason success than regular season success.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

I’m not completely sold on Philly’s “process” just yet. I have a feeling that they’ll fail to attract any of the major free agents this offseason and settle for gambling on Isaiah Thomas to return to form, but this is a gamble that I hope pays off. The Sixers’ regular season success last season came because of an end-of-season win streak mostly against teams in tank mode, racing for the best draft pick possible. Unless Ben Simmons can find a jump shot and Embiid can stay healthy, I see them finding the same amount of success as last season. We’ll have to wait for them to take the jump.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks will go as far as Giannis takes them. They underperformed last year, but I expect the Greek Freak to be one of the league’s front runners for MVP. They should be making moves to improve their roster this offseason, and could look towards the services of Dwight Howard to improve their frontcourt and possibly Dennis Schroder to provide competition for Bledsoe. Very excited to see how the Bucks do.

6. Indiana Pacers

Indy ought to be excited about how their team is shaping up. Their roster can only grow, but their pure lack of star power puts them this low on the list. I’d liken them to the Spurs in the sense that despite the fact that they need more talent, their players fit very well on their roster, and they should perform well enough to earn a playoff spot. Look for Indy to make a few more offseason moves; hopefully, for Tyreke Evans.

7. Detroit Pistons

With the softening of the East, the Pistons will actually feel no pressure to win now, because their big stars are locked up for a few more years. They have the talent to test their frontcourt in the postseason, but should be focused on offloading Jackson, Leuer and Galloway to make room for other pieces. Detroit could very well be on the rise very soon, but they’ll have to wait to break into the very best of the East.

8. Brooklyn Nets

Here’s my wildcard pick. The eighth spot in the East is as wide open as can be, and the Cavs and Heat look likely to miss out on the playoffs after making it this past season. Miami is Brooklyn’s biggest competition, but their cap situation limits their activity this offseason, and Dragic continues to get older. The Nets have a solid young core that doesn’t get paid much, so it wouldn’t be surpised if they picked up a few more pieces to edge out a playoff spot in the East. This could be the year that D’Angelo Russell breaks out and maximizes his potential.

The results of the NBA Finals came as a surprise to pretty much nobody. The Warriors asserted their league-wide dominance and whether their winning ways are fair or not, the race has begun to catch up to them. This NBA offseason should prove to be extremely interesting, given the big names that could be on the move. Here is a prediction for every team in the Eastern Conference in regards to how they will look to shake up their roster.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Toronto Raptors: I don’t think the Raptors are going to blow it up. Almost their entire roster that achieved the first seed in the Eastern Conference this past season will be returning next year, and there are simply too many positives to take away for them to make any drastic decisions. Their first priority will be looking to re-sign Fred VanFleet, who turned in an impressive performance in his second season. My prediction is that the Raptors will look to deal Serge Ibaka away in a move that will clear up much-needed cap space for a third star. Toronto’s window shrinks every year, with Kyle Lowry approaching the age of 33. After making room for a third man, I can see Toronto make a move for a young, promising power forward that would be effective in a small-ball lineup and could also potentially take the reins once they fall short of expectations again. Aaron Gordon fits the bill, but the Magic are likely to match any offer for the restricted free agent, so he should be staying put. Toronto will settle for Julius Randle.

Boston Celtics: Boston is more poised for future success than any other team in the NBA. With three all-star caliber players locked up for next season, two players on rookie deals who look like they could be future all-stars and Scary Terry, the Celtics have plenty of talent to ride with for next year. Their only two needs this summer are to re-sign defensive stud Marcus Smart, and to find themselves a center. Al Horford can slot himself into the 5 in small-ball lineups and will likely start at center when everyone is healthy, but a trustworthy natural big man is necessary in order to stack up against bigger opposing lineups. They could re-sign Greg Monroe or Aron Baynes, but will they ask for more money than the Celtics could afford? I can expect Smart to willingly take a pay-cut to stay with the squad, but man bun could seek a contract elsewhere for a more expanded role. You can bet that Danny Ainge will be making calls to New Orleans to inquire about Anthony Davis, but that would be tough to execute, and Ainge wouldn’t want to break up the chemistry of his current roster. A free agent like Brook Lopez fits in perfectly with this roster, as a veteran who could be willing to take less money in order to contend for a title.

Philadelphia 76ers: Here’s where things get interesting. Philly has a significant amount of cap space, as Joel Embiid is their only player on a major contract. With expiring contracts from three point shooters like JJ Redick and Marco Belinelli, the Sixers have two goals in free agency: to get a third star and to get some shooters. They’ll start with Will Barton, who can score from anywhere on the floor, but hasn’t been able to fully show it behind Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. They could also re-sign Belinelli, who won’t be too expensive, but could also look towards the services of Wayne Ellington, whose only skill seems to be shooting the ball. From there, Philly can splash some cash on a star. One player who I would love to see in a Sixers uniform is Isaiah Thomas. The man wants to get paid, but unfortunately timed injury concerns will likely limit his value on the market. Philly is a team that can afford to overpay him, and can also afford to make up for his size. Thomas’ shooting edge perfectly complements Ben Simmons’ desire to go the basket, and this could make for a perfect comeback story. Sorry Philly, but I think you’ll lose the LeBron sweepstakes. Fortunately, that likely leaves them some room to re-sign Simmons and keep him happy amidst some public internal drama.

New York Knicks: The Knicks are still regretting the obscene contract given to Joakim Noah in 2016, who turns 34 in February. His uselessness at this point in his career makes him a difficult trade candidate when such a big price tag is attached to his head, effectively limiting the Knicks’ options this offseason. The organization may have finally found its saving grace in David Fizdale, a head coach who exudes the type of energy that New York has been missing for a long time. Despite the enthusiasm that Fizdale has garnered from all around the league, there is only so much that the Knicks can do in Fizdale’s first year at the helm. They have a clear need for wing players, and the draft can help fix that, but this must be addressed in free agency as well. Enes Kanter has embraced life as a Knick and will surely opt into his player option, establishing a solid frontcourt with the unicorn. Depth at the guard position is promising, but a glaring lack of star power will limit their success. In an acquisition that makes New York much better for a price that won’t break the bank, I believe that the Knicks will trade for Kemba Walker and Nico Batum from the Charlotte Hornets. Walker enters his last year on a contract that pays him a bargain $12 million, and Charlotte also desperately hopes to get Batum’s lucrative deal off their books. This acquisition will likely come at the price of one of their young guards like Mudiay or Burke, along with a second player like Courtney Lee and their high draft pick. However, it sets the Knicks up as a team that could potentially progress quicker than expected. They’ll have to find a third team in the aforementioned trade to free up some cap space, but given that all goes according to plan, they should make a run at Jabari Parker. Despite being a restricted free agent, the Bucks likely won’t match a larger deal due to his injury concerns and Milwaukee’s other roster talent.

Brooklyn Nets: Oh, Brooklyn. The Nets finally have a pick in the first round this year, albeit outside of the lottery. This team is finally starting to show some promise, despite an injury hampered season in 2018. Brooklyn believes that they have found their center of the future in Jarrett Allen, and are close to finalizing a deal for Dwight Howard and to get Mozgov off of their books. Their backcourt looks solid with Lin returning from early injury and D’Angelo Russell coming back on a bargain contract. The team will continue trying to groom young talent as they will likely strike out with bigger free agents on the open market. Dante Exum and Mario Hezonja come to mind as two free agents who could look to continue their development in Brooklyn.

Central Division

Cleveland Cavaliers: Given LeBron’s recent frustrations with the Cavs, Cleveland likely won’t retain him next year. He has become too aggravated with too much of the organization, from owner to roster. This will trigger a rebuild, which will also send Kevin Love on his way. The Utah Jazz are a likely suitor, who are looking to beef up their roster with another star to compete with what looks like an extremely promising future. Cleveland will be looking to get a few first round picks in return, to go along with an Alec Burks contract and change. A third team might need to be brought in for the value to equal out, but this kind of a trade makes perfect sense for both teams. Look for the Cavs to try acquiring star potential in this upcoming draft to prepare for life without the king.

Indiana Pacers: Indiana wants to capitalize on the young talent that they managed to steal from under Oklahoma City’s nose in Oladipo and Sabonis, along with a modern big man in Myles Turner who is just waiting to come into his own. Their frontcourt seems set, and for cheap, to boot. The biggest decision that will dictate the Pacers’ offseason is Thaddeus Young’s decision on whether to opt into his player option for next season. His deal would be for $13 million, which is likely more than he would garner on the free market. However, if Young is looking for a long-term deal, he may want to decline the option to try to muscle out a deal with another team for $10-11 million per year. Ultimately, I think that Young will decide to stay in Indy, where he served as team captain and enjoyed a successful season as a team. Look for Indy to add a scoring punch to their roster to top it off, and someone like Rodney Hood or Rudy Gay should do the trick.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks desperately need to improve their frontcourt, and could especially benefit from a center with the presence that Thon Maker’s lanky frame lacks. With limited assets, Milwaukee will look for a veteran big man through trading, and will find one in Marcin Gortat. The Polish hammer could be acquired in a trade involving John Henson, and would mutually benefit both teams. From there, the Bucks will look for a faceup four man to space the floor in an offense geared around the Greek Freak. They’ll find their man in Ersan Ilyasova, whose versatility becomes more sought after as he progresses through his career. The Bucks will be looking for Eric Bledsoe to gel into the team better than he did last season, as he begins a contract year that will define his future.

Detroit Pistons: Detroit is looking to move in a new direction in hiring Dwayne Casey has their new head coach. With a solidified frontcourt for years to come, they will desperately be trying to make their time with Griffin and Drummond count. Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder fits the Pistons’ mold perfectly, with a fairly priced long-term contract. Schroder doesn’t want to be part of a rebuilding project, but will struggle to find a starting role on a higher level contender. A deal involving Schroder for Reggie Jackson and Stanley Johnson could be enough to tip the scales for Detroit, and position them with a “big three” for at least the next three years.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls have the potential to be one of the most interesting teams in free agency this year. They should match any max offer sheet made to Zach LaVine, and they should be looking to continue developing Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn. Chicago has the assets to make big moves in the offseason, but their lack of contention makes it hard for a marquee player to commit to the city long-term. I can see Chicago giving Jusuf Nurkic an offer he can’t refuse. The big man is a restricted free agent, but given Portland’s recent history of giving big money to the wrong players, they will be keen to avoid any such mistakes, paving the way for the young seven-footer to establish a European frontcourt in Chicago. The Bulls will also look into trading guys like Robin Lopez, Omer Asik and Cristiano Felicio in exchange for draft picks and future assets.

Southeast Division

Miami Heat: The Heat find themselves in a precarious situation, given that they owe their players more money in 2018-2019 than any other team. This scenario is centered on Hassan Whiteside, who continues to decline, despite the fact that he is due to make $25 million next year. Tyler Johnson is also owed $19 million, and Chris Bosh is still owed almost $27 million. It may be time for the Heat to start tanking, but that’s just not their style. Miami will find it extremely difficult to find someone willing to take Whiteside’s salary, but they could ultimately find a suitor within their division in the Orlando Magic. Some of Orlando’s best times as a franchise has come through prolific big men, and while Whiteside is no Shaq or Dwight in his prime, he could be the next in line. The Heat will likely take Bismack Biyombo’s lucrative but less expensive salary in return, to go along with a player like Shelvin Mack.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards are the Trailblazers of the east. They’ve definitely been overlooked by fans and media as an attractive destination for players, and I don’t think they’ll be overlooked anymore after this offseason. Our nation’s capital will look to follow in the footsteps of their hockey brethren and become championship contenders, and will do so by acquiring DeMarcus Cousins in free agency. I’ve touched on this in a past article, but Cousins would make a perfect combination with the backcourt of Wall and Beal, especially given that he played with Wall in college. In order to make this happen, Washington will send Marcin Gortat to Milwaukee and try to find a trade suitor for Ian Mahinmi. It seems that Kelly Oubre will have to be traded along with Mahinmi in order for any deal to be worth making for opposing teams, but a promising young sixth man is a small price to pay for a game-changing player like Cousins. It’s going to be an interesting year in Washington.

Charlotte Hornets: Charlotte is absolutely entering tank mode. Recent reports have confirmed that Dwight Howard is heading to Brooklyn, and they will surely be looking to offload Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams as well. Kemba Walker will surely be shipped off in exchange for considerable assets, and the Hornets will be poised to be the worst team in the NBA and acquire the number one overall pick. I can see the Hornets dealing away Walker and Batum to the Knicks, in exchange for Emmanuel Mudiay or Trey Burke, Courtney Lee or Tim Hardaway Jr., and their first round pick. This would give New Orleans picks nine and eleven in the first round this year, setting them up to draft two players that could help position them for the future (my picks are Sexton and Knox). Michael Jordan’s team has been mediocre for too long and dealing Walker and Batum would give them the opportunity to give younger guys on their roster a bigger opportunity to make their impact. Expect a highly improved season from Malik Monk.

Orlando Magic: Orlando has realized that Jonathan Isaac is a project, and will recruit Hassan Whiteside as beatable competition for him while he’s developing. They’ll also look to throw a max deal at Aaron Gordon, who will surely attract interest on the free agent market but will stay with Orlando due to being an RFA. The Whiteside acquisition will rid them of Bismack Biyombo’s ugly contract, and they will continue to move around their big men in looking for a Nikola Vucevic trade. This underrated big man puts up nice numbers in addition to having a three-point shot, all under an affordable contract. They’ll send him somewhere in exchange for future draft picks and young assets, as they continue to rework their roster. Look for the Magic to draft Trae Young in a move that could potentially make them a playoff contender in the East faster than people may have expected. Their starting five would look like: Young, Fournier, Simmons/Ross, Gordon, Whiteside. That starting five won’t make the NBA finals, but given that Young breaks out and that Isaac starts coming into his own, there would definitely be reason to be optimistic.

Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta will contend with Charlotte next year for the worst record in the east. They did tanking right last season in their first year out of the playoffs in over ten years. Dennis Schroder, the only bright light on the team other than John Collins, will be sent to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Reggie Jackson and Stanley Johnson. They’ve been waiting for Kent Bazemore to pan out forever, but they’ll have enough space to keep him on the roster. I could see them offering big money to Montrezl Harrell of the Clippers, who still shows tons of potential at a young age. Despite being a RFA, not many other teams have the same amount of cap space that the Hawks have. Look for Atlanta to try to acquire more picks in the draft.