The latest edition of super stars running NBA franchisees, and dictating to owners and GMs is Kevin Durant, after demanding a trade a year after signing a 4 year contract, and now that the rest of the NBA has refused to tear their rosters apart for the aging prima donna, giving the owner an ultimatum to choose between him and the head coach and GM he and Kyrie Irving demanded he hire barely a year ago! Finally, an owner said "NO!"

Look at the shambles the Lakers are in after, shockingly, LeBron's talents as GM have come crashing down and they lack the assets to trade their way out of it and mortgage even more of their future at LeBron's whim!

Toronto won a championship playing this game with Kawhi Leonard, after he sulked his way out of San Antonio and one of the best coaches and programs in NBA history. He got his personal trophy and treated Toronto like a one-night stand, leaving with barely a word and zero interest in their fans or city. I think about that all of the time. Toronto fans deserve way better than that and I can't imagine getting a championship that way feels so great the morning after!

So, considering the alternative, the obscene contract and ridiculous no-trade clause Leonsis gave Beal feels less ridiculous in this NBA. While Beal wields a certain amount of influence in the organization, it's nothing like the dysfunction going on in LA and Brooklyn; for which those owners only have themselves to blame.

It'd be nice if Ted ever figured out how to hire a competent GM and perhaps understand that the only way to rebuild is to actually trade an asset like Beal and start over. However, we're still not LA or Brooklyn or the dozen or so other NBA franchises complicit in letting super stars run their organizations into the ground (notwithstanding that Leonsis doesn't need any help doing that!) As infuriating as the Wizards are; we're not that! If we ever became that, I'd be the final straw for me!

Most won't agree with me, but I'd rather see an admittedly incompetent owner and GM at least try to do things the right way and keep the fans and city in the forefront, without being completely owned by super stars to win a cheap, meaningless title for a selfish star to adorn his trophy room with! Even signing a second-tier star to too big a contract and trying hard is better than winning a Toronto-like championship!