While the United States is in a state of income inequity, the NBA is in a state of talent inequity.

Four teams won at least 59 games last season and three of them – the Lakers, Cavs, and Magic – made major personnel moves within the last two weeks. The other team, Boston, is on the cusp of a big signing and the Spurs, who won 54 games last year, have done more to improve than any team in the league.

Just once in NBA history has the regular season included four 60-win teams (in 1997-98), yet each of the aforementioned five could conceivably hit the magic mark in 2009-10. So, as most basketball fans were anxiously anticipating the events of next summer and the grand free agent class of 2010, the recent acquisitions from the elite teams divided the league into a full-fledged caste system.

It started with San Antonio.

Disappointed with their first round playoff exit, the Spurs dealt part-time starters Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto, and Kurt Thomas to Milwaukee for Richard Jefferson just before the NBA Draft. The 29-year old Jefferson averaged 19.6 points a game last season and is in wonderful shape. He hasn’t missed a game in two seasons. Jefferson will become the fourth option behind Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili (assuming he returns in perfect health), giving the Spurs a foursome more fearsome than the league has seen in quite some time.

Despite not having a first round pick, San Antonio snatched the sensational DeJuan Blair after he slid to them in the second round. League doctors had expressed concern over knee surgeries the Pittsburgh power forward had in high school, yet his rebounding ability, passing skills, and pure passion for the game should be on full display next season. The team also added Miami shooting guard Jack McClinton late in the second round. McClinton is undersized, but can score in bunches and be a back-up Parker if necessary.

The Cavs barely made a mark with their draft selections, but still managed to move a mountain. Cleveland traded Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic for Shaquille O’Neal in a deal that was first discussed during the trade deadline back in February. O’Neal is 7-foot-1 and generously listed at 325 pounds. He will be as imposing as ever in the middle of the lane on the defensive end and an efficient scorer upon receiving LeBron James’ passes on offense.

Pavlovic was an afterthought during Cleveland’s postseason run to the Eastern Conference finals. He totaled just 23 points in 11 playoff games. Wallace wasn’t much more of a factor in the playoffs and Shaq is better at just about everything than the former Defensive Player of the Year. Including intimidation.

Even if the Shaq experiment doesn’t result in a title, the risk is minimal. His $20 million salary comes off the books next summer. Should the Cavs win it all, the pressure for LeBron to re-sign would be monumentally intense. But, even more importantly, the team would have the flexibility to sign James and work out a deal with O’Neal or any other free agent James might want as a teammate. If they don’t win it and LeBron decides to sign elsewhere, the Cavs would basically have a clean financial slate to start the re-building process.

The Magic also worked out a draft day trade that reshaped their roster. Orlando sent Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie to New Jersey for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. Bringing in Carter enables the Magic to let go of free agent Hedo Turkoglu. Turkoglu is asking for hefty sum, yet he was vital to Orlando’s postseason success. Not only did the Turkish star hit multiple late-game shots, but he played more minutes than all but two other players (Rashard Lewis and Kobe Bryant) in the playoffs.

Carter might play the same position as Turkoglu, but they couldn’t be more different. While Turkoglu excels offensively because of his range, length, herky-jerky movements, and change of speeds, Carter is an athletic freak whose potential was always regarded as limitless. At 32-years old, the potential suddenly seems limited; his scoring average has dipped in each of the past two seasons.

Turkoglu was the heart of Orlando’s offense. He would occasionally bring the ball up and run the plays. Carter might be more talented, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be a better fit. Still, the Cavs and Celtics struggled to match-up with the Orlando offense of Dwight Howard and four perimeter players. Having Carter as one of those perimeter players could make the Magic lethal, especially if he is rejuvenated since he’s a Florida native who actually lived Orlando pre-trade.

And, even though Anderson may be somewhat unknown to the general public, he isn’t just a throw-in. As a rookie last season, he averaged 7.4 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. At 6-foot-10, Anderson is Hedo-light, a sweet shooter and a skilled offensive player.

On Thursday, it was reported Ron Artest would sign a free agent deal with the Lakers. Much like the Carter move protects Orlando if Turkoglu leaves, signing Artest enables the Lakers to be proactive with Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom on the free agent market. Adding Artest probably signals the end of the line for Ariza in Los Angeles. Ariza was insanely accurate in the playoffs and just turned 24-years old, but Artest makes opponents shudder. He’s not just a tenacious defender, he’s an attitude. Some players are fearless, but Artest is fear-inducing.

The NBA has become a nightly match-up of wings. Whether it is Joe Johnson, Dwyane Wade, Caron Butler, Kevin Durant, or Brandon Roy, the teams with the best shooting guard and small forward usually wins. This was especially evident in the playoffs when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Shane Battier, Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, Turkoglu, Ariza, Artest, and – ultimately – Bryant stole the show. With Bryant and Artest on the floor at the same time, the Lakers have the best defensive wing combination the league has seen since the days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Either player can lock down the elite wings in the league and, thus, L.A. goes from a team that was occasionally effective defensively to an excellent defensive squad. Considering they ran the NBA’s most efficient offense last season, the Lakers are now scary on both ends.

With all of these top tier teams bettering themselves, the Celtics are sure to join in. Kevin Garnett missed 25 regular season games and Boston still finished 62-20. Garnett’s return should certainly add a few more wins to this season’s total, but the Celtics won’t rest. Teams competing for a title never do.

And that mindset is precisely what is now separating NBA teams into two groups. Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, San Antonio, and Los Angeles on one side and the have-nots on the other.