There's some turbulence in the Eastern Conference this offseason as executives look to vault their team into contention. Whether it be tinkering with a roster by adding a piece or looking to completely overhaul things, there's clearly a sense of urgency in the East to do something quickly; the Conference is winnable to anyone willing to roll the dice and make a splash.

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, though, the pressure is much lighter – the Cavs already made their move at last season's trade deadline when General Manager Danny Ferry dismantled a roster he felt wasn't good enough to help LeBron James win a title. Cleveland moved a handful of players and brought back Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Joe Smith, and Wally Szczerbiak with those title hopes in mind.

"I like the trade and what it did to our team," Ferry told HOOPSWORLD in an exclusive interview, reiterating that he was comfortable with the team's makeup as the season approaches. "We brought a level of toughness on the defensive end, especially, and a higher level of shooting than we had."

Ferry said that the key for the Cavaliers will be creating the chemistry needed to get the most out of each player, which wasn't something that the team was able to do after picking up so many pieces late in the season. "At the end of the year, we didn't really have a chance to build continuity because the trade happened so late and we had several injuries after the trade," he added. "I'm really excited to see some of these guys really be able to work together through a preseason, training camp and build a team even more-so rather than just thrown together, which we kind of had to do at the end of last season."

With the Toronto Raptors getting Jermaine O'Neal and the Philadelphia 76ers laying everything on the line for Elton Brand, Ferry admits "it's going to be a challenge for everyone that was above" both teams in the standings, but feels that his squad will contend as assembled.

That doesn't mean he isn't looking to continue to tinker, though.

"I like our team very much," he prefaced, "But we're looking at every possibility. I think we helped ourselves in the draft this year, we'll look at the free agent situation if there's opportunities there and trades as well. I think we're in a situation where we have a flexible roster overall and we can make things happen if that's what we want to do, but having said that, I like the continuity and our group of guys."

With the team already looking at luxury tax payments, the financial situation for Cleveland may handcuff them from lavish spending during the offseason. However, Ferry said that Cavaliers' owner Dan Gilbert is fully supportive of signing off on deals that strengthen the roster. "Our owner has been very aggressive and been very open to putting our team in the best position he can to have us succeed," Ferry said. "It's great to have him."

Gilbert has already shelled out the dough to keep Daniel "Boobie" Gibson on the roster, inking him to a five-year, $21-million deal this month. Gibson's shooting ability became key for the Cavs, as James often penetrates to the basket and dishes the ball when defenses collapse on him, leaving shooters like Gibson wide open on the perimeter.

"Daniel brings a great smile to the court and a great attitude to practice every day and he can shoot the heck out of the ball," Ferry said. "He's one of the guys on our team that when he gets on the court, everyone gets excited: fans and the players because they all enjoy playing with him. He's going to compete night in and night out, he's going to work defensively, knock down big shots, all those things. We look at him as an important part of our team and that's why we were very willing to sign him to a long-term deal."

But after signing Gibson, the team may test Gilbert's wallet in retaining West, who stepped in as the team's starting point guard after the midseason trade. Because West is a restricted free-agent, the Cavs can match any offer that he gets around the league or he can sign a $2.76-million qualifying offer, which would allow West to be an unrestricted free-agent next season.

No team will be able to offer West more than the mid-level exception of $5.6-million other than the Memphis Grizzlies, but they have three capable point guards already on the roster. The Cavs are still in negotiations with West's representatives, who will likely seek a more lucrative deal than the one given to Gibson because West is a starter.

There have been some unfounded rumors of a European offer on the table for West and mentions of a few sign-and-trade deals that may be in the works as well, but Ferry said he hopes things work out between both parties so Cleveland can maintain the kind of continuity he'd like to see.

That continuity, created by bringing back a stacked roster and letting them grow together, should keep things relatively calm around Cleveland.  It certainly would be the team's best course of action this offseason and should make the Cavaliers a contender in the Eastern Conference.