Sangfroid wrote:With Mitch,Barrett and one 2nd level FA, it would put us somewhere that we haven't been in seven years....the playoffs. This is before we sort out the new roster. We're that close.

But all that losing to make the playoffs?

nyk2017 wrote:... be worth it if we don't end up with Zion, KD, Kyrie, AD etc? In my mind it would be an epic failure and set the franchise back a decade. Especially if we get desperate and offer max contracts to Tobias Harris and Kemba. At least we would still have draft picks. Right now we have a team of role players and no hopes of anyone developing into superstars. So without a couple of superstars this team will not win anything meaningful.

Effective "Resource Management" i.e. dealing with the personnel side of professional sports needs to operate as OUTCOME INDEPENDENT.

This is a core principle in how GMs must actually build teams that have a chance ( not a guarantee) of opening up a contention window for their team ( i.e. a 2-4 year run where they are legit contenders in their sport)

You take each situation/opportunity as it comes, then do the best you can. The Rockets had no idea James Harden would be available for trade. No idea. They had no idea he would develop as he has done so far in terms of a market franchise player. But they stockpiled assets and waited and tried to be flexible for any opportunity and be in a good position to strike. That's it.

I need Zion on my team or we are all ****ed is Outcome Dependent.

If we don't get Durant then we are ****ed for a decade is Outcome Dependent.

We are only going to get 2nd Tier FAs named X and Y is Outcome Dependent.

Make the best market based decision given the time and place and be flexible and wait for your time to strike it comes up for you. That's it. You can't forecast 3 years in advance or even an offseason in advance. Doesn't work that way. Also most of the hypothetical moves run on this board are based on ZERO MARGIN FOR ERROR.

"We are gonna get this guy this year, then draft this guy this time and do this in a month and we can be contenders in six more weeks!"

You are going to miss on draft picks. People are gonna get hurt. Some trades might not work out. Warriors drafted Patrick O'Bryant. OK so they missed. Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson. They missed. They readjusted and moved on and good things happened later.

You look for OPPORTUNITY, not ABSOLUTES. This is how a real functioning professional sports front office is actually run, well a competent one.