"After speaking with league insiders throughout this week, our latest trip around the NBA features an East reset. What lies ahead for the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and other contenders? What are the cases for and against each as the true conference favorite? And how could those franchises -- and Milwaukee -- attack the Feb. 5 trade deadline?"
"While the race for top contender in the East is still up for debate, the biggest storyline in the conference -- and the NBA -- is not. In conversations with sources around the league over the past 48 hours, the widespread expectation is that the Giannis saga will drag out until at least Thursday. Then, Bucks general manager Jon Horst and his staff will have to decide whether to make a move now or wait until the offseason."
The NBA season is past its halfway point with the trade deadline and All‑Star Weekend approaching. The Eastern Conference remains wide open and full of questions. Milwaukee has fallen to 12th place and has not been able to contend with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the current roster. The Bucks and Giannis appear headed toward a separation after more than 12 seasons together, and the franchise is surveying trade value while weighing an immediate move versus waiting for the offseason. Several Eastern teams including Detroit, New York, Boston and Cleveland have legitimate Finals aspirations, though scouts say no case is ironclad.
Read at ESPN.com
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