The Eastern Conference, at least in the short-term, just got a lot better - they added four potential All-Stars from the West in the forms of Jason Richardson, Ray Allen, Zach Randolph, and Rashard Lewis.  All were acquired for nothing that will immediately help the Western teams, though they will benefit in the long run.   Jeff Green and Brandon Wright might be future stars; the salary cap space netted by Portland in 2009 and Golden State now might help them sign big free agents in the future.  But the East as a whole has shrunk the talent gap, with Ron Artest and a few other star players still on the trading block.  Let's take a look at some of the moves so far:

• Seattle trades Ray Allen:  The Sonics are totally doing both the right and wrong thing at the same time.  Let's break the trade down: this was basically a 7-time All Star given away straight up for Jeff Green; the Sonics didn't even get a salary cap benefit, since they had to take Wally Szczerbiak back.  Is Jeff Green in any way going to be better than Ray Allen next year, or even the season after that?  Probably not, unless Ray Allen totally falls off the map.  It's all about the future, and netting another young player to put alongside Kevin Durant.  Seattle is in total, complete rebuild mode, and that means they aren't looking towards next year or even the year after that - they are focused on Oklahoma City and the 3-5 year range.  Since Ray Allen won't be around then, they sent him away now for a talented young player with a bright future.   Not a terrible decision, and one you have to agree with if you are thinking long term.  But rebuilding with young players is always a risky proposal - you really don't know how Jeff Green will pan out, period.    

That having been said, there is no way the Sonics, who finished in the lottery this past season, can be expected to do better next season; they just "traded" All-Stars Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen for two rookies - Kevin Durant and Jeff Green.  You can pen the team in for another lottery finish next season, and another talented young player being added to their roster via the draft.
BTW, if they are going this route (and clearly they are), they might get rid of Luke Ridnour, too.  They are stuck with Earl Watson, who is a decent point (no jumper), but who is probably untradeable.   They could draft a replacement young PG in next year's PG-heavy draft, and give him the point guard job full time, then trade Ridnour.  They might be holding on to him to raise his price (he's going to put up good numbers since someone has to help make up for the scoring loss, unless you think Durant and Green are going to average 50 ppg combined as rookies next season).  Still, with the demand in the market for point guards as high as it is, it makes sense for Ridnour to get traded to a team needing an upgrade at point.  My suggestion:  to the Lakers in February (if not sooner) for their #1 pick (probably in the #10-20 range) in the 2008 draft.  The Sonics then get another two young players next year to add to the nucleus of the future OKC Sonics.

• Boston adds Ray Allen:  The flip side of the trade.  It's a great move for Boston - as long as they have Paul Pierce they aren't in true "rebuild" mode like Seattle is.  So adding an underrated veteran All-Star (one of the top 15 players in the league), one who can do so many things (hit threes, mid range game, above average rebounder and passer for his position) to another underrated, veteran All-Star who can do many things (same as Allen) is a tremendous one-two punch in the Atlantic Division.  Boston is at least 10 games better now, minimum.  Can you say that definitively if they were adding Jeff Green?  Paul Pierce is running out of time, so the Celts should be thinkin about the next one or two years, especially in the Eastern Conference where there is still not a dominant team that has to be feared (unlike the Mavs and Spurs in the West).  
  

Seriously, Pierce plus Allen, and Al Jefferson down low = around 38 wins.  That will not be enough to make the playoffs, but is a huge improvement.   Now, what can put them into the playoff (6th seed) range?  Rondo.  If he can step it up, maybe find a midrange jumper, the Celtics are serious.   We see their offense running like this:  down low to Jefferson, who either goes one on one on his man, or draws the double.  If he draws the double, it won't be off the perimeter threats (Allen and Pierce), it'll be off either Perkins or whoever plays down low with him, or off Rondo.  If Rondo can cut to the paint and get the pass from the Jefferson, he can force the defense in enough to open up Allen and Pierce.  The Celtics are close, but they need to either upgrade over Perkins, or hope Rondo can develop his game. 

•  Jason Richardson to the Bobcats, and Rashard Lewis to the Magic.  Okay, neither is really an All Star - they have zero appearance to show for their years of starring in the Western Conference.  But now that they are in the East?  Think one of them can't take Joe Johnson or Rip Hamilton's place?  What about Caron Butler?  Both players are capable of 25 ppg averages next season for their team. 
  

The Magic lacked a scoring focus last season.  Answer this question: who lead the team in scoring the most games last year?  Grant Hill?  Jameer Nelson?  Dwight Howard?  Turkoglu?  The scariest thing about this team:  They can overpay Lewis (at $15 million per year for 5 years), and still have lots of cap space.  Next season they'll lose almost $12 million in contracts when Carlos Arroyo, Pat Garrity, and Keyon Dooling come off the cap.  They will just have $33 million in contracts next season, counting $15 million for Lewis.  That is alot of money for a team that free agents love to sign with, especially one that already has Lewis and Howard on board.  The Magic, still our pick to be one of the most dominant teams in the East by the end of the decade.

Another team sitting there with two big pieces, and lots of cap space for the future?  Charlotte.  They have Jason Richardson and Okafor, plus Felton and several other role players that might be long term keepers - Walter Herrmann, Adam Morrison, Sean May.

• The Nets got better, too.  They get Nenad Krstic back, a huge missing piece of their team last season.  Add in Sean Williams, a blocking and rebound machine (think poor man's Ben Wallace, but with more offensive moves and less hair), and the Nets are the legit frontrunner to win the Atlantic.  Their biggest competition?...
•  The Raptors.  Nice additions in Jason Kapano and Carlos Delfino.  It's always a good strategy to take role players off some of the toughest teams in your conference (note to the Bulls: you don't want to do this by overpaying for that role player, i.e. Ben Wallace). 
  The Raptors look like a fun team next year:  dead-eyed Kapano, inside monster Chris Bosh, big man with the distance Andrei Bargnini, Jorge Grabajosa, Delfino and Jose Calderon, plus TJ Ford.  And about $7-10 million in cap space at the end of next season.
• The Knicks added Zach Randolph.  We're going to do a seperate post about this, but you might see him make the All Star team, too.  His strongest competition is Jermaine O'Neal, who might be traded to the West.  Randolph was 13th overall in double-doubles last season, and he's moving to the Eastern Conference where there are fewer big men.  Look for him to be among the best PFs in the East next season, along with Sheed, Howard (technically a center), Bosh, and Jermaine O'Neal.
• Finally, speaking of Jermaine O'Neal... Kobe Bryant must be getting pissed.  The Lakers have done nothing while Zach Randolph was practically given away.  Same with Ray Allen (not a Kobe fan, though).  And Jason Richardson.  Here's the deal with the Lakers: They are going to sell out the arena for as long as Kobe is around.  They don't need a championship team, just a mediocre team with the best player in the league.  They'll sell tickets for the next two years, and go nowhere (they don't even have a point guard now, do they?).
  

Meanwhile, in two years Kobe can opt out.  If he does, the Lakers now have Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmer (with three years of experience, so hopefully decent by then), signed for a combined $5 million dollars, plus Radmanovic (the only other contract), for a total of $11 million committed.  Guess how many of those premium free agents they can sign that off-season with that much to spend?  Can you see the Lakers starting Bynum, Garnett, Shawn Marion, Gilbert Arenas, and Ron Artest?  Or something along those lines?  Maybe add in a cheap veteran or two - maybe a Kidd or Bibby at PG, to go with Garnett and Marion/Artest?  Get the plan?  So now do you understand why are they pissing off Kobe so much?  Maybe because if he exercises that option in 2009, the Lakers think they can get busy....

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