Can we all quit it with these dumb downer takes? This is dumb because:

• Trent is younger, has more room to grow, and Powell went for the guaranteed money over the chance to earn more with incentives. Nobody thought that Trent was a stronger player at the time – this was a building move, rather than an upgrade. Powell’s contract also only terminates when he’s 35 years old.
• ‘Thad and a second for a first and Dragic’ doesn’t fairly describe moving down only 8 spots in the draft for a mature player, dumping a toxic player in the process. Based on my favourite draft analyst’s read, we got the best prospect after ~18 anyway. We’re only feeling like the draft went south because of K’s unknown health issues.
• The Poeltl trade is debatable. This year it’s not looking great, based on a sample of… almost nothing? Towards the end of last year it was looking like a fine acquisition. Would anyone rather we go back to the mediocre centers we were trying to escape from? Or another undersized center? On top of that, Pascal and Jak are close friends. Completely reasonable pickup, even if debatable.
• Lowry could have been traded… for what? He expressed a clear wish to end up in Miami and did Toronto the credit of getting us assets in return. Anyone still hung up on this needs to get a grip.
• Unrestricted free agents aren’t fun but don’t panic at the disco until the music is done. We’ll see what Toronto gets in negotiations. Recall that we didn’t keep Fred in free agency and thank God for that.

On top of being dumb, this kind of moping—especially after a loss—is just a mood killer. Get hyped for what we’ve got or get a new hobby. Basketball has its ups and downs but at least it’s back! This is all part of the journey.