DelAbbot wrote:Duffman100 wrote:raptor jesus wrote:Raps' front office always floats these rumours so that, years later, they can say they almost traded up for {instert superstar} e.g. Giannis, SGA, etc.
At least we're rumoured to after future MVP candidates

Why couldn't Masai just pay up / overpay for these picks? Twice now these targeted picks turned out to be franchise altering - which pays off 10x fold even for an overpay.
Or is this a bias thing, where Masai floats lots of targets, and we look back and lament only the targets that turned into franchise stars?
I don't know the situation around SGA, but with Giannis, he called MIL to see where they were and they said they were keeping their pick (presumably because they loved Giannis that much). I don't think there was even a price at that point. They were keeping the pick. Unless Masai did something like 2-3 future 1sts, I'm not sure how you convince someone to NOT select the guy they have targetted.
And while yes, Masai liked both future MVP candidates, there's no way anyone KNOWS they're going to be a MVP candidate. Trading 3 1st rounders to move up a few spots in the same draft is more likely to completely cripple your franchise for the next 5 years.
For example, there were rumours Masai wanted to move up in the Scottie draft. If he had traded our pick plus a future unprotected 1st (and likely something else on top), for example, just to draft Mobley, Green or Cade? We'd be laughed at right now.