Looking at the top 5 players in the league right now, none of them were picked #1, it’s not the end of the world.
The only way that’s true is we give him the max extension without him turning it around. If he finishes this season the way he started it, there’s no way you extend him prematurely. Either trade him for something or let him walk, but putting ourselves in a position where we might be stuck with him, or forced to move picks with him is what will screw us even further.
It’s a game. Nothing is the end of the world in the nba.
If Cade isn’t a number 1, Weaver’s rebuild won’t succeed barring some incredible luck. It will linger on with an over-committed Gores for too long until it erodes into a team with zero assets again.