This offseason, LeBron James decided to use the player option on the final year of his Cleveland Cavaliers contract and sign a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers instead.

Not only did LeBron's move from East to West open up the Eastern Conference for other teams to win, but it also left a spot for a new king to rule.

For the past eight years, either with the Miami Heat or the Cavs, James has been the best player in the East and, as a result, has taken his team to the NBA Finals each year.

Now LeBron has gone to the Lakers, a new King of the East needs to be crowded.

Here are five players that could take over James' crown of King of the Eastern Conference.

Kawhi Leonard

We already know how great of a two-way player Kawhi Leonard is thanks to his time in the Western Conference with the San Antonio Spurs. Due to his trade this offseason though, he is now in the East with the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors were one of the best teams in the East last season, and now they're receiving a well-rested Kawhi, they could be even better.

An NBA Champion, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, a two-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a two-time All-NBA First Team he has all the credentials to take over the crown, so long as he stays healthy.

Kyrie Irving

A former teammate of LeBron, Kyrie Irving expressed his desire to step out of his shadow last summer with his trade away from the Cavs to the Boston Celtics.

Now James has left the East completely, it's time for the point guard to claim the throne. Being a former NBA Champion and a five-time All-Star, he knows what it's going to take.

He began that process last season with the Celtics, averaging 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, helping them achieve a 53-29 record in the regular season before he picked up a season-ending injury.

With this promising young squad, Kyrie has all the pieces to become king.

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is another player that could take advantage of the spot left behind by LeBron in the Eastern Conference.

After having a 52 win season and with a really young core, Philly looks like they could take over the East for years to come with Embiid leading the charge.

The center averaged 22.9 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last season, and building chemistry with Ben Simmons is only going to help him become a better player and the top dog in the East.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was in contention for the MVP award last season, as he had a phenomenal year, averaging 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

He already has two All-Star appearances to his name and was 2017's NBA Most Improved Player. The Greek Freak is one of the best two-way players in the league, but he needs more weapons around him at the Bucks to become truly unstoppable.

Giannis needs to improve his shooting too in order to become King of the East. If he's able to do that, and Milwaukee can create a good supporting cast around him, he can control the East.

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