After almost an entire season of brewhaha, the Melodrama finally ends with Melo getting what he wants, a trade to the NYK to form the Super Friends :NY edition. While I'm sure anyone is happy that this whole thing is finally settled, I cannot help but wonder if this might really hurt the players as a whole in the long run. NBA is slowly getting closer and closer to the "fixed" situation these recent years, with the Gasol gift that essentially created a new dynasty, resurgence of Boston(and Paul Pierce's acting), the ugly conspiracy that made the trio at south beach, and now Melo basically throwing a tantrum until he get traded to the Knick. Although the suspicion has always been in my head that star players has the powers, it has never been in such full display until recent years, with Lebron wanting out all along and never once mention it to his team and effectively started a FA storm that re-align the powers of the east, and now Melo essentially holds a perfectly good Denver team hostage until he gets traded to the Knicks. I have never seen front office so powerless and helpless. Teams are probably feeling as insecure as a 13 year old teenage girl seeing these horrid cases where teams are getting raped by player's decisions and with the CBA coming up, I dont see either cases helping the negotiation.

Will teams want protection from players who have essentially full control of when and where they want to end up? Will a NBA franchise tag be instituted? much much harder caps? More restrictions on contracts? No players wants that or will agree to that. So we have a stalemate. Is a lockout immanent? I know European money is as good(probably better than) American money, but it'll be sad if it actually comes down to that. Parity arent exactly prevalent in the NBA, and this trend of further concentration of talent will probably lead to contraction of the league. But does the league and Stern really want that? Fewer arena and fewer seats to sell? The drama is bringing in viewers, but I know I can only stand The Real World for a season or 2, and eventually the fascination may wear off, then where doe it leave the league? the players?