The arms race is on in the Eastern Conference; with the Boston Celtics reigning supreme over the rest of the association for the 2023-24 campaign, teams now have a barometer for which to gauge their chances of hoisting the NBA championship come 2025. But for the Philadelphia 76ers, merely matching the Celtics isn't enough. Surpassing them is a must, especially considering the golden roster-building opportunity they have in front of them this offseason.

For 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, the goal for them coming out of this offseason is to become the cream of the crop in the East and become the team to beat.

“We're planning on being the best team in the East next season,” Morey said, per Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Fansided and 97.3 ESPN FM.

Of course, Daryl Morey will not say anything else; as one of the main decision-makers for the 76ers, failing to achieve their goal of building a team worthy of winning a championship is unacceptable, especially with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey already serving as foundational stars for the team.

No one should expect Morey to say that they're aiming to be second-best. That is an all-out affront to a 76ers fanbase that is starving to see a team get past the second round of the playoffs.

But the Celtics will not be sweating any of Morey's words. After all, they are standing on top of the mountain, and the Celtics, perhaps in a similar vein to the wise Kevin Durant, will be telling the 76ers not to worry about what goes on at the top of things.

Celtics are lightning, 76ers are thunder

Over the past seven seasons, the 76ers have been chasing the Celtics' tail; since 2018, the Celtics have made the Eastern Conference Finals five times, while the 76ers have not made it past the second round once. The Celtics have already gone a few iterations of the team, changing the supporting cast around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but they have been a more consistent playoff team year-in, year-out than a 76ers franchise that can't seem to get over the hump.

The Celtics have seemingly been course-corrected by fate every single time; they let go of Al Horford in 2019, with the 76ers being the team to sign him away, only for Boston to trade back for the veteran big man in 2021. When the Celtics saw that Kemba Walker was on the way to being completely washed up, they traded him away at exactly the right moment. They were the team to pull off a cut-rate trade for Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis, building the core of the team that won them banner 18.

Can the 76ers find the same stroke of luck that has seemed to elude them ever since they emerged as a contending team in 2018?

Assessing the Sixers' options this offseason

With around $60 million in cap space and some future first-round picks to dangle in trades, the 76ers have all the flexibility in the world to build a solid team around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Maxey will soon be up for a max contract extension, so while his cap hold doesn't represent his true value, the 76ers can strike in free agency.

However, Paul George, one of the team's biggest targets in free agency, appears likely to stay in the west coast. LeBron James, now that the Los Angeles Lakers were able to draft his firstborn son Bronny, should not be going anywhere. OG Anunoby has reportedly come to an agreement to a new contract with the New York Knicks, taking away another one of their options in the market.

Expect the 76ers to be very aggressive in these coming days, especially now that Daryl Morey has put everyone on notice with how he declared his goals for everyone to hear.