The Eastern Conference will not be disbanded.

The New Jersey Nets have been saved, with the possible exception of Byron Scott.

It's the Texans, meanwhile, who are suddenly sweating in July, after what was a Lone Star season. The season that belonged to San Antonio and Dallas (and even Houston on Yao Ming's best days) has given way to an offseason bossed by the Nets and Lakers. After all the coaching changes and Michael Jordan's stunning failure (twice) to take control of his own franchise and now the surprise return of Larry Bird to Indiana, an offseason that continues to uncork surprises has just witnessed a bicoastal raid on four of the most desirable free agents out there.

The Lakers got verbal commitments from Gary Payton and Karl Malone, after GP and the Mailman talked each other into taking historic pay cuts to play in L.A. The Nets answered with a similar flourish, convincing Zo Fan Club president Jason Kidd to stay in Jersey -- and spurn San Antonio -- because the Nets also convinced Alonzo Mourning to cancel his Dallas plans and join his buddy J-Kidd in the swamps. The big names apparently come in tag teams these days.

Meanwhile ...

The focus, and the onus, has shifted back onto the Spurs and Mavericks, both of whom believed strongly, until late Thursday night, that they would be landing their respective No. 1 free-agent targets. Here's what happens next because they didn't:

	Rasho Nesterovic is at the top of the Spurs' wish list now.

San Antonio Spurs
The only solace for the Spurs, after their all-out attempts to squire Kidd away, is that they got the sad news a few days earlier than expected.

Now they proceed to Plan B, which centers around splitting their $15-odd million in cap space between a center and power forward.

Namely: Minnesota's Rasho Nesterovic and New Orleans' P.J. Brown ... although Plan B has already given way to Plan C after the Spurs' big-money pitch to Brown, hours after losing Kidd on Friday, was trumped by Brown's decision to stay with the Hornets.

The Spurs have maintained constant contact with Nesterovic since free-agent negotiations commenced July 1, including a clandestine meeting in Europe between Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and the 7-footer while Pop was overseas for a coaching clinic. The Spurs, though, face roadblocks in every free-agent scenario they've drawn up, in spite of an obscene amount of cap space to burn -- more than any other other champ in memory.

Kidd, like Tim Duncan in Orlando three summers earlier, opted for familiarity in the end after draining deliberations. Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal was never really an option, mutually cancelling a planned visit to San Antonio after days with no contact between the parties. Turns out the Clippers' Elton Brand actually appeals to the Spurs even more than O'Neal, but he's a restricted free agent. San Antonio knows, even if it throws the max at Brand, that he's the one guy who could convince tightfisted owner Donald T. Sterling to match.

Which brings us to Rasho and another big. Together, two players could ably replace the retired David Robinson and satisfy the fans' cries for size. Yet even a double-score ranks as only a partial save. Because ...

A. It looks as though the Spurs will almost certainly lose Speedy Claxton, even though they didn't get Kidd. Excluding the marquee point guards -- Kidd, Payton, Gilbert Arenas and Andre Miller -- Claxton and Kevin Ollie are generating the most widespread interest.

B. The Spurs still have to re-sign Stephen Jackson, and never far from their thoughts looms the Manu Ginobili situation. Burning all their cap room this offseason means that Ginobili will essentially be the league's next Arenas next season. Cap restrictions on second-round picks completing the second year on their contracts will leave San Antonio unable to match offers higher than the mid-level exception to keep Ginobili, arguably the Spurs' second most valuable player as a rookie, judging by plus-minus statistics in the playoffs.

C. No matter who else joins Duncan now, it won't be a certifiable star. Maybe you don't believe the Lakers can accommodate four future Hall of Famers with one ball, no matter what we write or say, but they'll have four stars to one the next time L.A. and S.A. share a floor. There's a reason Duncan wanted Kidd so badly.

Dallas Mavericks
Let's just say they'd welcome the Spurs' problems. Even though a mound of spendable dollars hasn't guaranteed the champs anything, it's better than having no cap room and a serious need for an interior presence.

Much as the Mavericks were privately thrilled that Kidd showed interest in coming back to them, which would have required a complicated sign-and-trade, they had planned to go after Mourning regardless, not just because Zo and J-Kidd wanted to play together. "We've been trying to get Zo forever," said one team insider, noting that Dallas has repeatedly broached Mourning's availability in trade talks with Miami over the years.

Until late Thursday, Dallas was convinced Mourning was indeed on his way, and not just because owner Mark Cuban was in Miami as soon as the clock struck 12:01 a.m. on July 1, waiting to offer Zo the same four-year deal worth more than $20 million he'll be signing instead with New Jersey on Wednesday.

"I'm obviously disappointed, but there's also a sense of relief," Cuban said. "It was going to be a risk for us."

That risk is the same risk New Jersey faces now. If Zo's ongoing kidney problems sideline him again, after the Nets expended their only real free-agent chip to get him, they're right back where they started.

Of course, missing out on Mourning poses a new risk to the Mavericks. For the second straight summer, they are at risk of coming away without an impact free agent, limited to offering the $4.9 million exception because they're capped out.

Of the five best big men still available -- Nesterovic, Brown, Michael Olowokandi, Brad Miller and Juwan Howard -- all but Howard are expected to secure contracts with a starting salary above that $4.9 million figure. With Howard a long shot to return to Dallas, after being traded to Denver in contentious circumstances in February 2002, the Mavericks would appear to have little hope of landing any of those five.

The only real hope is a sign-and-trade. Even then, though, the only options are Olowokandi and Miller, neither of whom is very obtainable. Olowokandi's Clippers are reluctant trading partners, and Memphis' Jerry West -- just to name one Kandi fan -- has more to offer the Clips, with one healthy expiring contract (Wesley Person's $7.7 million). Indiana's Miller might be more available, but Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh insists he wants to keep Miller.

With Dallas also searching for a top perimeter defender, Al Harrington is another very desirable Pacer. Yet league sources continue to insist that Walsh is even less likely to trade Harrington than Miller. It's also no secret that the Pacers are looking for an upgrade at point guard, which would undoubtedly lead them to pursue Steve Nash in any discussions with the Mavericks. Since the idea to add depth in support of their core foursome that also features Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel, you can safely say Nash won't be offered up.

Looking for veteran defensive specialists of any size, Dallas figures to ring Portland to inquire about Ruben Patterson's availability and also has strong interest in Scottie Pippen and Robert Horry. Pippen, mind you, is apparently representing himself, which helps explain why Chicago has emerged as the front-runner for the former Bull. Another reason: Chicago is offering a lot more money than anyone else, expressing a willingness to use some or all of its $4.9 million exception on Pip.

Horry? Even though his $5.3 million option was not picked up by the Lakers, Big Shot Rob is eligible to re-sign with L.A. for more than the $1.5 million exception because his rights have not been renounced.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, send Stein a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.