Trade & FA 2024-25:

[KillerLeft]

It wasn't just Ayton.  People were posting about trading the pick for Capella, Allen, Claxton, ect.

I don't know many that were for keeping the pick like I was.

Ohhhhhhh, I get it now. You're trying to dust off the old "don't trade picks - draft players with them" argument. That's not interesting to me because we've been arguing about it for years and decades, at this point. The truth is that there is no right answer. If you make a GOOD trade, it's worth it, but doing too much of that can put you in a bad spot. For example, I wouldn't have traded a first (the pick sent from OKC wasn't great, but the pick swap Dallas gave up to get them to do that might be) for Gafford, especially knowing that he's probably not going to be worth a first if/when they trade him away. And, I said so. I made similar arguments when the Kyrie trade happened, and boy was I wrong. The idea that there's a right or wrong way to do that every time is the enemy, which is why that argument is so pointless. In truth, it's a case by case thing subject to the constantly evolving situation of your team. 

But, your indignation makes more sense now, I suppose. There were a ton of people probably trying to figure out how to make use of that pick in a trade, but you have to understand that it wasn't by preference for many of them - we've just always assumed the Mavs were going to trade their pick. That's what Dallas had always done under Donnie/Cuban. Crazy that we're already used to Nico valuing the draft enough not to be phased by the choice to trade UP for Ajinca. 

I thought your post was about Ayton, specifically. That's a conversation I'll have all day. He's just the WORST.