After the Pacific Division, CGTN has an analysis of gains and losses by the five teams in the Atlantic Division.

Nets can wait for a better future

Brooklyn Nets biggest gains: Landing Kevin Durant with a four-year, 164 million U.S. dollar deal via sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors; signing free agent Kyrie Irving with a four-year, 136 million U.S. dollat contract; introducing DeAndre Jordan with a four-year, 40-million U.S. dollar deal

Brooklyn Nets biggest losses: So far none

The Nets are one of the biggest winners at the 2019 free-agency market. Kyrie Irving is absolutely an upgrade of D'Angelo Russell for the team's starting point guard. Landing Kevin Durant is good enough to win the NBA Executive of the Year Award for any general manager, not to mention that Durant helped the team squeeze another first-round pick from the Golden State Warriors in his trade, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

While landing the two super stars, Brooklyn were still able to sign DeAndre Jordan to improve their center position - Jarrett Allen is a good rim protector but he is not strong enough to take on giants like Joel Embiid. By contrast, Jordan can do everything Allen does and he is one size bigger than Allen.

With Irving and Jordan replacing Russell and Allen in the team's starting-lineup, Brooklyn will be able to cause more trouble for any opponent in the Eastern Conference. If Durant comes back healthy, the team will immediately rise to become one of the championship competitors in the league.

76ers continue to bet on high stakes

Philadelphia 76ers biggest gains: Introducing Al Horford with a four-year, 109 million U.S. dollar contract; keeping Tobias Harris with a five-year, 180 million U.S. dollar deal; landing Josh Richardson via trade with the Miami Heat

Philadelphia 76ers biggest losses: Failing to keep Jimmy Butler; letting J.J. Reddick go; giving an unnecessarily big contract to Tobias Harris

Signing Al Horford was a smart move. The 33-year-old big man is one of the most complete interior players in both offense and defense in today's NBA. His ability of switching to small guards, passing and shooting 3-pointers can help Embiid feel way more comfortable and save more energy for working in the paint. Meanwhile, this talent-stealing move also hurt the Celtics badly. The only concern is: will Horford be caught up by age before the contract comes due?

Extending Harris' contract is a different case. For starters, the 26-year-old is not worth this money but the team are unlikely to get him to sign with a different deal. A 2.06-meter, two-way forward who can shoot from the 3-point line and able to put on isolation plays is simply that popular in today's league.

Philadelphia had wanted to keep Butler, even at the cost of huge luxury tax number. Nonetheless he wanted his own team more than anything and thus left for Miami. At least his departure brought back a valuable asset, Richardson, who can shoot, defend and only has a small contract.

Letting Reddick go will make Philadelphia's offense even more difficult. Their best hope is that Ben Simmons can start practicing shooting and make some real progress.

Celtics will have to trust their young men

Boston Celtics biggest gains: Acquiring Kemba Walker with a four-year, 141 million U.S. dollar deal

Boston Celtics biggest losses: Watching Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris leave as free agents; sending away Aron Baynes

The Celtics definitely did not deserve a spot at the winning table in 2019 summer. They lost the team's starting point-guard, No. 1 scorer, and his substitute, the team's interior core, No. 2 orchestrator and the big tank under the rim. It's hard not to feel sorry for Semi Ojeleye, Daniel Theis, Guerschon Yabusele and Robert Williams when they have to meet Embiid, Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo next season.

Landing Kemba Walker cannot make up for that. Compared with him, Irving is the better finisher, isolation player, 3-point shooter and even one-on-one defender. Of course Walker is a better off-ball player and seems to cause less trouble in the locker room. However, Boston have to face it: their unit got downgraded.

The team's hope will be on their forwards, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. Tatum and Brown are about to play their third and fourth season respectively and it's time to show both Boston and the league that they are more than promising young men. As for Hayward, if he can find 80 percent of himself before injury back, he is still that reliable, tough playmaker. Otherwise, it will be hard for Boston to get rid of his contract.

The New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors are no doubt the two losers in the Atlantic Division. Having saved over 70 million U.S. dollars of cap space before June 30, the Knicks only introduced Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and Marcus Morris? The Madison Square Garden has been waiting for new owner for a long time and will continue to do so.

The Knicks did this to themselves. According to reports, the team missed Durant because they were unwilling to offer him the maximum contract. Neither the team could make the same offer as the Lakers' to trade Anthony Davis with the New Orleans Pelicans. Next season, the best thing the team's fans can watch is probably Dennis Smith Jr. ad R.J. Barrett put on some incredible plays from time to time while the team continue to tank.

By the way, it's true that most of the new contracts the Knicks signed this summer were short ones that could be ended in 2021, which again will release their cap space. Nonetheless, no star showed any interest in the team this time, why will it be any different next time?

The Toronto Raptors are sad in a different way. Less than a month ago, they were the first non-American NBA champion and the pride of Canada. Now they are back to who they used to be, the team that no one wanted to join. The moment Kawhi Leonard announced his decision to go to the Clippers, the Raptors could say goodbye to all their wonderful plans for the future.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports reported that Toronto had no intention to get rid of Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol or Serge Ibaka. These three plus Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Fred VanVfleet should be able to help the team remain competitive for the playoffs but that's probably it. Though the Raptors will see some 90 million U.S. dollars of cap space next summer, again, no star player wanted to go to Toronto.