nate33 wrote:...Trading away our #45-49ish pick saved Ted somewhere around $6-7M. Viewed in isolation, it's hard to argue with the trade.
True enough. There's no basis for arguing against it. & that is the problem -- viewing it in isolation. When you view something in isolation, you remove it from any real context that would provide a basis for criticism.
Now... whether viewed in isolation or viewed in its entire context (for example, the entire Jodie-Meeks-becomes-is-&-stops-being-a-Wizard arc), this whole matter doesn't warrant the level of attention it's gotten -- that's obvious.
But, viewing it as one of a series of phenomena that all have a similar arc overall (in this case, the arc is: make a bad decision then figure out how to get rid of it & pay the cost to hide the pattern) is quite revealing. In fact, by and large that's how we attain insight -- by spying out patterns.
Viewed in isolation, the 1923 invasion of the Ruhr by France & Belgium looked like a great decision.
Viewed in isolation, the 1938 agreement Hitler achieved allowing him to annex the Sudetanland looked like a great victory for Germany.
But neither was. The first led to the second, & the second led to the deaths of something approaching 60 million people, the end of Europe's ability to control its own fate (let alone the ability of any European country to do so).
& that's why I mentioned "tariffs" in this context (masking my intention with a smiley). View things in isolation, & you will never understand anything at all.
Okay... end of rant! Sorry.