LeBron-to-Lakers fallout: Kawhi saga will linger, Celtics primed with win-now mentality

For the first time since 2010, LeBron James will not be representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals next season.

Fittingly, it was the Celtics that were the last LeBron-less team to make it out of the East and they are set up to return to that perch in 2019 after James agreed to terms with the Lakers on a four-year, $154 million deal Sunday night.

James heading west is a win for the Celtics on a number of fronts and it may actually end up being a best-case scenario for the green for 2018 free agency from a big picture standpoint. James stayed away from a blossoming Eastern Conference rival (Philadelphia) and avoided strengthening a contender (Houston). Instead, he opted for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with a far less capable supporting cast.

The Lakers have proceeded to surround James with plenty of questionable role pieces (Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) within mere hours of his signing, making the early version of the 2018-19 Lakers roster look like a second round out in the West rather than a contender.

There is a good chance there will be a splashier name coming to join James in LA in the coming days, but in the meantime, the Celtics are suddenly heavy favorites to come out of the East. A few thoughts on the impact for Boston as the C’s attempt to take advantage of their good fortune for the next three years and beyond.

1. The Kawhi Leonard saga should linger well into the summer: The Spurs just lost a good amount of leverage in this equation with James landing in Los Angeles. Suddenly, it’s hard to find a team that feels a major sense of urgency to land the All-Star for a premium price. The Lakers already have James locked up long-term and will have the cap room open to land Leonard next summer if the Spurs are holding out for too much via trade. The Celtics and Sixers are well aware of this too and they will probably be more cautious with their approach, knowing that the lure of LeBron in LA remains for Leonard in the summer of 2019. Which side will blink first? It’s hard to tell at this point, but the Celtics will need to continually monitor this situation all summer long. The temptation will be there for Ainge to up the offer (via a draft pick, not Jaylen Brown) to ensure Leonard doesn’t land in Philly. Such a move would prevent Boston’s only emerging rival in the East from securing a talent that could level the playing field in the East.

2. The East looks less threatening than ever beyond Boston and Philadelphia without James in the mix: Nearly every other playoff team (except the Pacers) entered this offseason without significant cap room, limiting options to improve for most talented teams. The Cavs will be lucky to make the playoffs without LeBron due to their mismanaged cap sheet. The Raptors, Wizards and Heat will only be able to add notable pieces with the taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.4 million) thanks to inflated contracts across the roster. The Bucks spent their mid-level money already on Ersan Ilyasova, a guy who won't be a difference maker in the postseason. Outside of the Sixers landing Leonard, it’s hard to think of a team that will be able to accumulate the talent and depth that the Celtics have at their disposal. While a few stars (Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo) should be regular opponents for Boston in place of James during the East playoffs, no one has the supporting cast yet to take down a healthy Celtics squad or the cap room to bring aboard a big name. More importantly, a few of these teams have cores that will be on the decline over the rest of the decade.

3. It’s time to think about the best way to win now instead of the future: The Celtics' front office has masterfully controlled the books during the C’s rebuild, maintaining useful assets in the form of young players and picks over the past few seasons while avoiding the luxury tax. Boston will be coming close to that tax line this offseason for the first time in five years and avoiding it in 2018 should no longer be a priority with such a clear path to the NBA Finals. That doesn’t mean trading away the farm for a rental like Leonard, but win-now veterans should become more of a focus up and down the roster. Spending into the tax for capable contributors should be prioritized instead of grooming young depth with questionable upside (Abdel Nader). Bringing aboard a seasoned talent like Brad Wanamaker was a strong start on that front and that trend should continue at the end of the bench to give this crew the best chance possible to take down the Sixers, Warriors and whoever else is waiting for them in the 2019 postseason.