With LeBron gone, the Eastern Conference is now wide open. Young teams such as the 76ers and Celtics can thrive and make a run at the Finals. Talent-wise, The King was keeping things relatively equal with the West. Now that he has departed, let’s take a look at the top 10 players in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak has broken out over the last two seasons and proved his worth as one of the NBA’s best talents. In terms of physique, he’s probably the most gifted player in the league besides LeBron. Giannis is only 23 years old and is still well away from entering his prime, making his ceiling terrifying. Already the top player in the East, it seems that he will eventually inherit the throne from King James. He can dominate on both sides of the floor in every aspect, and he really only needs to fix one thing – his shooting.

2. Kawhi Leonard 

Whether or not Kawhi lasts long in the Eastern Conference is a whole other conversation, but the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is certainly a superstar. Kawhi has stayed strong defensively over the last few seasons while improving his scoring abilities drastically. He only played 9 games last year, but we’ve seen what he can do. Now in Toronto, it’s too early to tell if he’ll be a one-year rental or a long-term solution.

3. Kyrie Irving

Kyrie is the best true guard in the East, and one of the best in the entire league. He can take games over, lead a team, play on both sides of the ball, and break your ankles. Kyrie can do it all, and he’s just 26 years old. Already a 5-time All-Star and NBA champion, he is looking to take the Celtics to the top in a wide open conference with the help of guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

4. Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid might’ve missed his first two NBA seasons and most of his rookie year, but upon playing 63 games last season he’s proved how fantastic he can be. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team last year as a result of his fantastic play, considering he put up 22.9 points and 11 rebounds per game. His game is wholly complete as well. He can dominate in the post, protect the rim and be a defensive anchor, and even shoot from outside.

5. John Wall 

He’s been the leader of the Wizards since he was drafted 1st overall in 2010, and has made every All-Star Game since 2014. Wall has athletic ability and speed comparable to Russell Westbrook, and his ability to command the floor is fantastic as well. He’s a top-5 guard in the league, and with Bradley Beal (whose goes down as my honorable mention on this list) by his side the Wizards are going to look at a deep playoff run.

6. Victor Oladipo

If you read this article a year ago, you would’ve never believed Oladipo owned a spot on this list. His inaugural season in Indiana was fantastic, and for good reason he took home the 2017-2018 Most Improved Player. Averaging 23.1 points and a league-high 2.4 steals per game, Oladipo earned All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team honors as well as his first All-Star bid. His trainer said he’s improved greatly this offseason, so we can only hope that next year the former second overall pick will be able to lead the Pacers past the first round of the playoffs.

7. Ben Simmons

Still just 22 years old, Ben Simmons is already showing everybody how dominant he can be. After averaging nearly triple-double numbers last year, he was named Rookie of the Year and found himself also on the All-Rookie First Team. The 6’10 (who has reportedly grown to almost 7 feet) Australian point guard uses his length to defend, run the floor, and just needs to work on his shooting. He’s set to eventually become the best guard in the conference, and we might just see the 76ers in the Finals soon enough.

8. Kristaps Porzingis

The 7’3 power forward has become terrifying for defenders, as he has created a decent shot from beyond the arc in addition to his post game. Last season Porzingis was named to his first All-Star Game, but unfortunately missed the rest of the season with a left ACL tear. He averaged 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game on 39.5% shooting from three. If he can stay healthy (he’s only 22), Kristaps can end up being one of the most versatile players of all-time.

9. Gordon Hayward

After a tragic, season-ending injury in his Celtics’ debut people thought that the team’s season was over. Boston rallied behind their younger talent and made a near-Finals run, and with Hayward healthy, they might have enough to take down the Warriors. Hayward emerged as an All-Star in 2017, and has proved very dangerous with the ball in his hand. He’s an all-around complete player capable of averaging around 20 points per game.

10. Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker is probably the most underrated player in this list, if you consider how he’s only nominated to two All-Star teams despite averaging 18.9 points per game on his career. He’s never been nominated to an All-NBA team either, despite being Charlotte’s undisputed team leader. Still only 28, he’s entering his prime and still has some more time to improve his game.

Now that LeBron has headed out to Los Angeles, the Eastern Conference has become exponentially weaker. The West is undeniably more stacked than before, but there is still plenty of talent on both sides of the league. With that being said, here’s the top 10 players from the NBA’s Western Conference.

1. LeBron James

This is the only undebatable selection in this article, if we’re being honest. The new Laker and 14-time NBA All-Star has dominated this league for years, and he’s shown no signs of showing down despite being 33 years old. The only thing that’s up for debate with The King is whether or not he is the greatest basketball player of all-time.

2. Kevin Durant

KD, and put aside if you think he’s a snake or traitor, is a two-time champion and Finals Most Valuable Player. He’s arguably the best scorer ever, only potentially lapped by greats such as Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Durant is in the middle of his prime and is molding better than ever with the rest of the Warriors. He will never pass LeBron, but being right behind him isn’t a bad thing.

3. Stephen Curry

Some say all he does is shoot. Well, he is in fact the best shooter to ever touch a basketball. Still, he’s won a pair of MVP trophies and has a few rings on his hand. Steph has handles, can create shots for himself and teammates, is solid defensively, and is still in his prime.

4. Russell Westbrook  

The triple-double machine and most athletic point guard ever is one of the best players in the league, and almost the best at his position. Westbrook has been to 7 All-Star Games at this point and has won MVP, and don’t forget that last year he led the league in assists for the first time in his career. His intensity and hustle are unmatched, and there’s a reason that Michael Jordan has named Russ as the player most similar to his prime self. All in all, him and Stephen are interchangable at the three and four spots.

5. James Harden

Harden won his first Most Valuable Player award last year, and remember that he almost (with the help of Chris Paul) took down the Warriors in 7 games. His offensive game is absurd and unstoppable, but his slack on the defensive side of the ball is the reason he isn’t ranked higher. The Beard is still evolving though, and with both Ariza and Mbah a Moute gone next year (assuming he steps up) he might end up repeating as the recipient of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

6. Anthony Davis

The Brow is the best big man in the league by far, and is not even in his prime yet. Anthony Davis is only 25 years old, yet averages 23.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his entire career. I’m not sure how much New Orleans is doing to keep him happy, but he better find a way deeper into the postseason if he wants to keep up his reputation.

7. Paul George

PG has re-signed with the Thunder and shown that he wants to be a part of the franchise for years to come. He looks to be a key factor in an Oklahoma City championship run considering he molds so well with Westbrook, and the 5-time All-Star forward is steadily improving every season. George can shoot the 3, defend the ball extremely well, and step up in big situations.

8. Damian Lillard

Now 28 years old, Dame is still very underrated. He led Portland to a 3-seed last season, which ended poorly upon being swept by the Pelicans. Regardless, he’s only been to a trio of All-Star Games, despite being viewed as a top-5 MVP candidate by many. The tandem Lillard has formed with McCollum is so valuable to the franchise as they look to move forward with other young pieces like Jusuf Nurkić.

9. DeMarcus Cousins

Despite not being the quickest or most athletic big man in the NBA, DeMarcus Cousins is almost certainly the most dominant. His strength is unmatched, and the new member of the Golden State Warriors will look to reel in his first ring next year. Cousins will miss a portion of the season still recovering from his achilles, but we can be confident he’s working hard to ensure he returns to his past trends of destroying defenders.

10. Jimmy Butler

Butler was shipped to the Timberwolves just a year ago, which has looked like a failed operation as of recently. He was unhappy with the nonchalant attitudes of some of their younger guys, which is a sign of how serious the 4-time All-Star is about winning a championship. Butler is a defensive anchor with strong offensive skills and is capable of leading a team, and at 28 years old he still has time to figure out where exactly he should be playing.

LeBron James has opened up his long-awaited I Promise School in Akron, Ohio. The native superstar described the opening as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, accomplishments in his life.

The school year at the I Promise School will be longer than a normal one while dialing in on kids who might have fallen behind their peers academically. There are available services for students who are enduring stress from home financial issues as well as separate programs to keep themselves occupied and out of trouble.

There is also job placement assistance for the families of I Promise School students and a food bank to aid parents. Every student will also receive a bicycle, as LeBron credits using his childhood bike as a means of keeping himself safe.

In its inaugural year, the I Promise School will teach roughly 240 third and fourth-graders. By the year 2022, up to 1,000 students in grades 1-8 will be in attendance. The multi-million dollar facilities are top-notch, with excellent resources and 35 community partners.

The entrance to the school features over 100 pairs of game-worn shoes from the Akron native, and there are several magnificent murals throughout its halls that preach the same message of hard work, respect and dedication.

James called it a “bittersweet moment”, considering next year he is moving out to Los Angeles to become a member of the Lakers. On the contrary the 33-year old, 4-time NBA Most Valuable Player will never forget his roots as he wants “every kid to be inspired”.

As first confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs traded away Danny Green and star forward Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors in exchange for four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round pick.

The Leonard drama had been raging for months on end and although he is no longer a member of the Spurs, he apparently still wasn’t too happy about his new landing spot. It was first reported that he did not want to play for the Raptors at all, which was then updated that he was “warming up” to the idea of playing for a championship contender (or at least a Conference Finals contender).

Toronto’s General Manager Masai Ujiri managed to trade away their star player (despite telling DeRozan that he wasn’t going to be traded) AND fire the reigning Coach of the Year in a span of 2 months. What Ujiri did with DeMar DeRozan is not necessarily fair, but what makes the whole thing worse is the fact that Kawhi doesn’t even necessarily want to be there. Ujiri’s choices seem awfully drastic for a team that just won a franchise-record 59 regular season games, good for the Eastern Conference #1 seed.

By reading all of the information above, it would seem as if only the Spurs really made out in this deal, which is not necessarily true when everything gets broken down. So with that being said, who won this trade?

The answer is both teams.

We’ll start with the positives for the Raptors. The benefits for San Antonio are endless, so those will be addressed at the end. Toronto has been a better-than-average team for several years now, with DeRozan and Kyle Lowry leading the way. Unfortunately, they’ve never been good enough, and haven’t found themselves in the Finals. Kawhi is stronger than DeRozan in almost every way, but there’s one massive downside… he might just be a one-year rental.

Kawhi still has his sights set on playing in Los Angeles, whether it be for the Lakers or Clippers. All of Toronto better get to work and try to make the two-time Defensive Player of the Year feel right at home. The Raptors need to show their faith in him and really give him the best possible situation there, or else he might be gone for literally nothing.

On another note, Danny Green (despite being 31 years old), is a very good player. He is an excellent 3-and-D guy that is seasoned and capable of picking up any slack. Green has rolled with Kawhi for years, and they have proven that they can work together for the team’s common good.

If Kawhi likes the city and likes new head coach Nick Nurse’s style, then he might remain there for the duration of his prime. This would prove to be the ultimate win for Toronto, and maybe Ujiri wouldn’t look so crazy after all.

San Antonio really has no cons at all in this deal, except if you count the fact that their next supposed franchise cornerstone found a way out without handling the situation professionally. That’s all in the past though, so R.C. Buford can only look forward with a smile on his face.

DeMar DeRozan is loyal, a leader, and arguably a superstar. He can score the ball, step up in big situations, and has proven himself before. The team still won 47 games without Kawhi playing for most of the 2017-2018 season, so giving LaMarcus Aldridge another high-caliber player to work with should make things normal again in Texas.

Jakob Poeltl is a strong, young talent that will learn from the veteran bigs that the Spurs already have. Pau Gasol is 38 years old, so Poeltl will be the perfect fit for when he calls it quits. The draft pick they received could turn into something good, and it probably will considering how well the franchise has always developed players.

Next season marks a new era for both of those teams, and the Spurs’ will undoubtedly last for years to come. For the Raptors, it’s a little different. It all depends on how badly they want to keep Kawhi in town.