Yeah he's been awesome and shrewd with his moves. I still can't get over that Brooklyn pick swap trade, what an amazing gift that has become. Can't believe Brooklyn didn't tank harder this year.
I think the Stone philosophy is to have guys on contracts ready for a trade when the right time comes around. I didn't like either the Jalen Green or Alpi extensions last year, because I would have preferred to have cap flexibility. But we can now see he has/had 2 young guys under contract, and they are both apparently enticing players for trades because they have those deals in place, instead of trying to negotiate a S&T.
The KD trade likely costs us Fred if Green didn't get the extension last year. However, when they signed Fred, Brooks and even Landale, it felt like each of those deals could or would be future trade chips. Now the team gets to keep Fred at a reduced rate, add KD, and continue to grow with an excellent balance of vets and young studs. Build through the draft, keep players under contract, stock future picks, and pull the trigger when it's time to flip them.
It also helps that Tilman seems to have taken a more hands-off approach since the Westbrook trade blew up in his face. Letting Stone and company make the basketball decisions is the key to this franchise's success.