NBA Notebook: Jaylen Brown's Twitch stream, the state of the East, and the new-look Lakers

Obviously, the entire nation is caught up with the Jaylen Brown trade. It's hard not to be. The Boston Celtics traded an All-NBA Second Teamer who finished sixth in MVP voting for Paul George and draft picks. It's hard not to fixate on something like that.

But step outside the Celtics-sphere for a moment. Because the Brown trade did way more than change the outlook in Boston. It changed the entire outlook of the Eastern Conference. And it's not the only move that did so.

Brown joining the Philadelphia 76ers gives them an elite Big 3 of him, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. And that's without even mentioning second-year wing VJ Edgecombe. That team should be a force.

Boston won't be bad either. The Celtics still have Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, George, and the same supporting cast that helped them win 56 games last year (plus some free-agency additions).

What about the other trades? It feels like the Kawhi Leonard deal has been swept under the rug in the wake of the Brown trade. Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett are a great trio. The Toronto Raptors took a jump last year, and with Leonard in place of Brandon Ingram, they should be even better.

Obviously, the Miami Heat will be in a much better place. The addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo alone is enough to secure that truth, but they definitely aren't done adding. There's a real chance they contend for a top spot.

The New York Knicks are still intact. Fresh off an NBA Championship, they will be running back almost the exact same roster next season. They're sure to be toward the top of the conference.

The same can be said for the Detroit Pistons. Their offseason hasn't been amazing, but their roster looks very similar to the one that sat atop the East last year. They have the talent to compete with the best.

Then there's the Orlando Magic, who will look to bounce back after a shaky year. The Washington Wizards have much more talent this year. Tyrese Haliburton will be back, and the Indiana Pacers will be looking to get back to the Finals. The Atlanta Hawks. The Cleveland Cavaliers. The Charlotte Hornets. The East is as loaded as it's been in recent memory.

For years, the West has been the deeper, more talented conference. At the top -- the very top -- that may still be true. But when it comes to depth, the East is right there, and it might have surpassed the West.

1. Jaylen Brown's Twitch stream

One day after getting traded, Brown posted his statement to social media. In it, he thanked the City of Boston, the Celtics fanbase, and the community. He also mentioned that he looks forward to suiting up for the Sixers.

Then, on Thursday night, Brown went live on his Twitch channel. And as one would imagine, he had a lot to say, and almost all of it began making the rounds on social media. It's impossible to detail every single thing he said during the stream, but these were some of the highlights.

Perhaps the most notable statement Brown made was his lack thereof. He said he wasn't thrilled with how the talks unfolded down the stretch of his time in Boston. Brown also noted that he believes Brad Stevens will get a lot of the blame, but he said it in a way that made it seem he didn't necessarily think that should be the case.

Brown also addressed the comment Colin Cowherd made, stating that Brown is too smart for his own good. And he responded in a hilarious way, effectively saying that, in the NBA, the bar is pretty low.

He mentioned that some of his teammates have reached out since the trade, specifically name-dropping Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Social media was quick to point out that Tatum was not mentioned.

Brown stated that his key card didn't work when he went to the Celtics' facilities, said that the Celtics 'packed him up,' called Edgecombe on stream, and said that it's going to be hard for him not to hate Philadelphia from here on out.

2. Lakers building around Luka Doncic

As Boston has dealt with the fallout from the Brown trade, the criticism has obscured the mess that's been unfolding on the other coast. Rob Pelinka went to work, but in the process, he eliminated almost all the flexibility the Lakers have to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves moving forward.

Pelinka sent two future first-round picks and two future first-round pick swaps to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler. His defense, rebounding, and pick-and-roll skills pair perfectly alongside Doncic and Reaves. And his $32.5 million AAV is a pretty fair price point. LA also brought in Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton in free agency. It's a solid team.

But in the process of trading for Kessler, Pelinka effectively traded all of LA's future draft capital. So, if this core fails to get over the hump, the Lakers don't really have a way to fix it. That's a dangerous game to be playing.

Kessler is a great player. And the most important part of building around Doncic is ensuring you have a top-notch center. But the rest of the Lakers' supporting cast just isn't strong enough.

3. LeBron James is leaving LA

I believe that LeBron James leaving is best for the Lakers. Not because he can't play anymore -- he absolutely can -- but because they wouldn't have had the money to add depth if they had to keep paying him.

Now, what the Lakers ended up doing with the extra money wasn't amazing. Maybe it was as good as it was going to get with this year's free agency class, but it's not going to put LA alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs atop the West.

That said, if the options were to keep James or land Kessler and add the depth LA did, I firmly believe that the latter was the best outcome. Kessler will be perfect for the Lakers, no matter how many draft picks they gave up for him.

As for where James could end up now, I think the most likely landing spots are the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. He is reportedly open to considering all his options, but few compare to the storylines that would come with those two organizations.

Teaming up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State would be very intriguing, and in the past, James has mentioned how much he loves playing with Curry (Team USA). As for Cleveland, they are already a solid playoff team, and adding him could elevate them to legitimate contender status. A homecoming should always be on the table.

There are a couple of other destinations that could make sense. There has been some smoke surrounding the idea of him joining Brown and company in Philadelphia. A reunion with the Heat could also make sense, especially with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo already in town.

Golden State and Cleveland are at the top of the list, with Philadelphia and Miami behind them. I would be stunned if James ended up anywhere else, but crazier things have happened.

4. The Jalen Duren saga

The Brown trade isn't even the only Jaylen -- or in this case, Jalen -- drama floating around the NBA right now. What's going on with Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons is truly bizarre. And it's very hard to nail down what the outcome will be.

Apparently, Duren hasn't been pleased with how negotiations over his contract extension have gone. The All-NBA Third Team big man probably wants to be paid as such, while the Pistons are likely looking at his ugly playoff performance and second-guessing the situation.

Duren is a restricted free agent. The Pistons can match any offer that another team hands him on the open market, and based on recent reporting, it seems as though Duren is intent on finding an offer for them to match (or not match).

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Duren planned to meet with the Sacramento Kings and the Lakers. Obviously, the Lakers have since signed Kessler, but his supposed interest in playing for the Kings stretched beyond McMenamin's report.

Chris Haynes went so far as to report that Duren intended to accept a Kings offer sheet in restricted free agency, which would put pressure on the Pistons to match. That would be a huge signing for the Kings' future, but simultaneously a massive blow to Detroit's lineup.

It feels foolish for the Pistons not to match whatever offer Duren gets, but what if a team pays him an insane number in free agency? Would they be better off avoiding that type of massive, long-term contract, especially with the financial restrictions of the current CBA? Maybe. But that's a risky way to play with Cade Cunningham's prime.

5. Spurs are loading up

Last season ended with the Spurs falling flat. Victor Wembanyama stumbled on the biggest stage, De'Aaron Fox struggled, and the Spurs' overall inexperience couldn't hold up against the Knicks' talent.

So, this summer, they've prioritized adding experience. Because if there was one area in which the Spurs needed to improve, it was that. And they've done a pretty good job.

San Antonio signed Tobias Harris, who was a big part of the Pistons' success for the past two years. He could start or come off the bench for them. He'll be a very useful asset.

But perhaps the more intriguing move is their bringing Billy Donovan on board as Mitch Johnson's lead assistant. It's reminiscent of when the Celtics brought Sam Cassell and Charles Lee in to be part of Joe Mazzulla's staff.

For a team that punched above its weight given how young it was, it's certainly done a good job of addressing that issue. Harris will be useful on the court, but Donovan's basketball experience could work wonders for the Spurs.