Gupta has always viewed trades as an essential part of team building, but he didn’t want to give up assets that could jeopardize the team’s long-term future to land a player who would only marginally improve their playoff chances in the present. He may not have been ultra-aggressive, but he was not reckless, either. “I could imagine the perception that I would want to put my stamp on things and make a move just for the sake of it. But that’s just not how I operate,” Gupta said. “I’m going to operate from a position of what is best for this franchise, not for me.”