LeBron James dominated NBA’s Eastern Conference for four years on the bounce, finally bringing a championship back to Cleveland in 2016 when the Cavaliers triumphed over the Golden State Warriors.

The King remained for another two seasons before departing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, leaving a void in the East, which many teams and players were attempting to fill for a path to the Finals.

Kawhi Leonard’s trade move the Toronto Raptors allowed the Canadian outfit to surge their way to the NBA Finals for the first time in the history of the franchise. Their inaugural NBA Championship followed with a stunning 4-2 win over the Warriors.

However, Leonard’s stay in Toronto was brief, exiting for the Los Angeles Clippers in the off-season. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the MVP of the 2018/19 season, but he and the Milwaukee Bucks were beaten by the Raptors in the Conference Finals, denting the rise of the Greek in the Eastern Conference.

The 25-year-old and the Bucks appear to be the team to beat this term and beyond, although there are a lot of promising players on the rise that are determined to knock Milwaukee off course.

We’ll now break down three players — all three were first time all-stars this season — that will be the future of their franchises and the Eastern Conference.

Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors)

There were fears that the Raptors would have a slump after the departure of Leonard. The excellence of Siakam on the court has ensured that Nick Nurse’s men have remained a threat in the Eastern Conference and will not surrender their NBA crown without a fight. Siakam has been outstanding over the course of the campaign, earning his first All-Star appearance in the starting line-up alongside Giannis. The 25-year-old is averaging 23.7 points per game along with 7.6 rebounds.

He has upped his levels of efficiency in the final third of the court, becoming the dominant player the Raptors needed him to become the ease the transition without Leonard. Siakam is on the way to becoming one of the best players in the NBA, and a potential duel with Giannis in the latter stages of the playoffs is a mouth-watering prospect. The Raptors are backed as of 4th February at 9/1 to win the Eastern Conference with Betway, which presents excellent value for money given the quality of Siakam and their experience from last term.

Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

Tatum has also been on the rise, and like Siakam, earned his first All-Star berth this season, although the forward did not feature as a starter. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a bounce-back campaign after his career was stunted last season amid problems at the TD Garden, which have been related to behind-the-scenes tension with Kyrie Irving.

With Kemba Walker in place instead of Irving, who left the team to join the Brooklyn Nets, Tatum has found his peak form again and has been outstanding. He has enjoyed career-best moments this term, notably scoring 41 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, while the forward was also dominant in his side’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

At the age of 21, there is huge scope for Tatum to continue to improve, averaging 21.5 points per game in the current campaign. There’s no reason to believe that he cannot match the levels of production produced by Giannis in the future. Tatum and his team-mate Jaylen Brown will be the cogs that Brad Stevens builds the Celtics around for the next 10 years.

Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)

The Hawks are not in contention yet and might not be for at least a couple more seasons. However, Young is developing into one of the best point guards in the NBA. He has been sensational in his opening two seasons in the league. The 21-year-old has secured his berth as an All-Star for the 2020 game in the starting line-up. He averages 29 points per game along with nine assists, which places him second in the league only behind LeBron James.

Atlanta need to surround Young with talent, although he is performing admirably on his own. The accuracy of his shooting, particularly from distance is reminiscent of Steph Curry. He could be the next great shooter in the league and one that will be exciting to watch for many years to come. However, he may have to wait before the Hawks can challenge Giannis and the Bucks at the top of the Eastern Conference until reinforcements arrive.