It's the obvious move. There are essentially two options re this player: either trade him or sign him. I understand that the mere mention of the former will send some into a mighty tizzy, but no decision-making process can be complete without contemplating all your options. If we trade him, the compensation will be pretty enormous, even transformative, if those resources are exploited wisely and you get a little lucky. Tactically, hinting that that option as under live consideration -whether it actually is or not,frankly - might offer a little prod to the Gonzo camp, suggesting as it does that we are not without options, and might encourage teams who might be interested to get in line as prospective trade partners, opening up those conversation early, seeing what the lay of the land actually is. Perhaps this will seem a little sleazy or manipulative to some. If you are afflicted with such squeamishness, you might recall Gonzo's asinine gesture at the Celts' game. I myself am not horrified over the prospect of a trade, because I am horrified at the prospect of paying one player a salary so high that it cripples the team going forward. The history of the league abounds with examples of this error. Gonzo is a very good player, but his value is not infinite. It only seems that way if we yield to alarmism over the prospect of moving on from him.
As for the player himself. I think it is reasonable to worry about his passive aggressive personality, his too-cool-for-school ********, frankly. At this point, one might see it as the quirk of a young fella, but such stuff can harden over time - particularly after a huge contract is signed - into something genuinely and expensively problematic. It seems possible Gonzo might be a little fragile physically as well, perhaps reluctant to return to the field until his health is perfectly restored, a thing quite impractical in a collision sport. As the sample is still small, this is not an established problem, but it is a matter which bears consideration.
The team should decide, privately, on the absolute maximum they are willing to pay for this asset, then stick with that number through the entire process. It should keep the trade alternative in place as an actual, live option. If you pick the right ceiling for what you are willing to pay, then, given the major haul of picks/players such a trade would yield, you can approach the whole thing with equanimity, with comparative indifference even as to the outcome. You know what he is worth to you, and you will pay no more, and you will get your value anyway. It's what my old man told me to do when you buy a used car. Once you know what the actual value - to you -of the car is, you fix on a ceiling as to what you will pay, then stick to it.
