Eastern Conference Power Rankings after the NBA Trade Deadline

The Eastern Conference has been the better conference this season. They hold a 180-166 advantage in games against the West, own four of the NBA’s five best records, and have four different teams on winning streaks of three games or more; the longest streak in the West right now is two, and the San Antonio Spurs have lost 13 straight.

That’s why it is so important to sort out the Eastern Conference when thinking about both this year’s playoffs and those in the future. How are teams playing right now? And how did the NBA Trade Deadline shake things up?

The Eastern Conference is having a great season – whose has been the best?

It’s undeniable that the deadline had an effect on teams. 28 of the teams in the league made a trade during deadline season, and 60 players in all were moved. That included Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving moving from the East to the West, although the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls decided not to sell their stars off. The teams at the top all added weapons, except for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who stood pat.

Let’s roll out an edition of the Eastern Conference Power Rankings, Post-Trade Deadline Edition. How did the trades and the announced buyout market signings affect the conference? How do the favorites shake out, and what does the bottom look like now? We’ll start with the teams angling for their shot at Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson in June.